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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bladder tree

Bladder \Blad"der\ (bl[a^]d"d[~e]r), n. [OE. bladder, bleddre, AS. bl[=ae]dre, bl[=ae]ddre; akin to Icel. bla[eth]ra, SW. bl["a]ddra, Dan. bl[ae]re, D. blaar, OHG. bl[=a]tara the bladder in the body of animals, G. blatter blister, bustule; all fr. the same root as AS. bl[=a]wan, E. blow, to puff. See Blow to puff.]

  1. (Anat.) A bag or sac in animals, which serves as the receptacle of some fluid; as, the urinary bladder; the gall bladder; -- applied especially to the urinary bladder, either within the animal, or when taken out and inflated with air.

  2. Any vesicle or blister, especially if filled with air, or a thin, watery fluid.

  3. (Bot.) A distended, membranaceous pericarp.

  4. Anything inflated, empty, or unsound. ``To swim with bladders of philosophy.''
    --Rochester.

    Bladder nut, or Bladder tree (Bot.), a genus of plants ( Staphylea) with bladderlike seed pods.

    Bladder pod (Bot.), a genus of low herbs ( Vesicaria) with inflated seed pods.

    Bladdor senna (Bot.), a genus of shrubs ( Colutea), with membranaceous, inflated pods.

    Bladder worm (Zo["o]l.), the larva of any species of tapeworm ( T[ae]nia), found in the flesh or other parts of animals. See Measle, Cysticercus.

    Bladder wrack (Bot.), the common black rock weed of the seacoast ( Fucus nodosus and Fucus vesiculosus) -- called also bladder tangle. See Wrack.