dig·i·ta·lin n.  (a) Medicine, Pharmacy Any one of several extracts of foxglove (Digitalis), as the “French extract,” the “German extract,” etc., which differ among themselves in composition and properties.  Both Digitalis lanata and Digitalis purpurea have been used to prepare such extracts. (b) Chem. the distinctive chemical substance, a steroid glycoside, which is the essential ingredient of the extracts of foxglove. It is a white, crystalline substance (C36H56O14), and is a 3-substituted diglucoside of a steroid.  It is a powerful cardiac stimulant and is used as a cardiotonic for treatment of certain heart conditions, such as congestive heart failure.  Chemically it is (3β,5β,16β)-3-[6-Deoxy-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3-O-methyl-β-D-galactopyranosyl)oxy]-14,16-dihyroxy-card-20(22)-enolide.  The related compounds digitoxin and digoxin are also extracted from the foxglove.  The class of steroid glycosides having cardiotonic properties are refered to as the {cardiac glycosides}. --MI11
 Syn: -- digitalinum verum, Diginorgin, Schmiedeberg's digitalin, digitalis, digitalis glycoside.

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 Dig·i·ta·lis n.
 1. Bot. A genus of plants of the family Schrophulariaceae, including the foxglove.
 2. Med. The dried leaves of the purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), formerly used in heart disease, disturbance of the circulation, etc.  Its use has been largely replaced by that of the pure active ingredient, digitalin. See digitalin.

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 Fox·glove n.  Bot. Any plant of the genus Digitalis. The common English foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a handsome perennial or biennial plant, whose leaves are used as a powerful medicine, both as a sedative and diuretic. See Digitalis.
 Pan through the pastures oftentimes hath run
 To pluck the speckled foxgloves from their stem.   --W. Browne.

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 Digitalis purpurea
      n : tall leafy European biennial or perennial having spectacular
          clusters of large tubular pink-purple flowers; leaves
          yield drug digitalis and are poisonous to livestock [syn:
           common foxglove, fairy bell, fingerflower, finger-flower,
           fingerroot, finger-root]