The Collaborative International Dictionary
Zedoary \Zed"o*a*ry\, n. [F. z['e]doaire, LL. zedoaria; cf. It. zedoaria, zettovario, Pg. zedoaria, Sp. zedoaria, cedoaria; all fr. Ar. & Per. zedw?r.] (Med.) A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste. It is used in medicine as a stimulant.
Note: It is the rhizome of different species of Curcuma, esp. Curcuma zedoaria, and comes in short, firm pieces, externally of a wrinkled gray, ash-colored appearance, but within of a brownish red color. There are two kinds, round zedoary, and long zedoary.
Wiktionary
n. ''Curcuma zedoaria'', a perennial herb native to India and Indonesia.
Usage examples of "zedoary".
Many of these gingers have medicinal uses, as they do elsewhere in Asia, but the Indians cook with an array of them, including obscure ones like mango ginger and zedoary.
Martins and finches, goatskins and ram skins, dates, filberts, walnuts, salted sturgeon tails, round pepper, ginger, saffron, cloves, nutmegs, spike, cardamoms, scammony, manna, lac, zedoary, incense, quicksilver, copper, amber, pounding pearls, borax, gum arabic, sweetmeats, gold wire, wines, dragon's blood rubies, loaded dice, and beautiful dancing girls.