Crossword clues for guaiacum
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Lignum-vitae \Lig"num-vi"tae\ (l[i^]g"n[u^]m v[imac]"t[=e]), n. [L., wood of life; lignum wood + vita, genitive vit[ae], life.] (Bot.) A tree ( Guaiacum officinale) found in the warm latitudes of America, from which the guaiacum of medicine is procured. Its wood is very hard and heavy, and is used for various mechanical purposes, as for the wheels of ships' blocks, cogs, bearings, and the like. See Guaiacum.
Note: In New Zealand the Metrosideros buxifolia is called lignum-vit[ae], and in Australia a species of Acacia. The bastard lignum-vit[ae] is a West Indian tree ( Sarcomphalus laurinus).
Wiktionary
n. 1 Any of a number of species of tree of the genus (taxlink Guaiacum genus noshow=1), native to the West Indies and parts of the Americas. 2 The wood or resin of this tree.
WordNet
n. medicinal resin from the lignum vitae tree
hard greenish-brown wood of the lignum vitae tree and other trees of the genus Guaiacum [syn: lignum vitae, guaiac]
small genus of evergreen resinous trees or shrubs of warm and tropical America [syn: genus Guaiacum]
Wikipedia
Guaiacum , sometimes spelled Guajacum, is a genus of flowering plants in the caltrop family Zygophyllaceae. It contains five species of slow-growing shrubs and trees, reaching a height of approximately but are usually less than half of that. All are native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas and are commonly known as lignum-vitae, guayacán ( Spanish), or gaïac ( French). The genus name originated in Maipurean, the language spoken by the native Taínos of the Bahamas; it was adopted into English in 1533, the first word in that language of American origin.
Members of the genus have a variety of uses, including as lumber, for medicinal purposes, and as ornamentals. The trade of all species of Guaiacum is controlled under CITES Appendix II.
Guaiacum officinale is the national flower of Jamaica, while Guaiacum sanctum is the national tree of The Bahamas.
Usage examples of "guaiacum".
I have instructed Will Gates to prepare a head bath of vinegar and guaiacum, a remedy I patented myself while at Cambridge and for which my fellow students, unwashed and lousy as they were, came eventually to thank me.
They were of different name and standing, and though held in less estimation, such valuable additions to the pharmacopoeia as guaiacum, cinchona, and ipecacuanha, were learned from them.
When first she left me alone in this dispensary, I took an inventory that showed: guaiacum, sarsaparilla, lobelia, puc-coon, cohosh, coca, jalap, cinchona, as well as balsams and herbs both indigenous and otherwise, had via her gardens or the mails, in which she so actively engaged.
The most active part of the tuber lies just beneath the skin, as may be shown by pouring some tincture of guaiacum over the cut surface of a Potato, when a ring of blue forms close to the skin, and is darkest there while extending over the whole cut surface.
It is not absolutely indicative of the presence of blood, for tincture of guaiacum is coloured blue by milk, saliva, and pus.