# ephedra

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛfɪdɹə/ · frequency rank #96,998

## Definitions
1. Any plant of the genus Ephedra of gymnosperm shrubs.
2. A stimulant derived from the plant Ephedra sinica used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine and in over-the-counter weight-loss aids.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἐφέδρα (ephédra, “sitting upon”), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ephedra