Useful english dictionary. 2012.
Calabar bean — n. [after Calabar, name of a river & town in S Nigeria] the large, brown, poisonous seed of a woody, leguminous tropical African vine (Physostigma venenosum) used in medicine as a source of physostigmine … English World dictionary
Calabar bean — noun Etymology: Calabar, Nigeria Date: 1864 the dark brown highly poisonous leguminous seed of a tropical west African woody vine (Physostigma venenosum) that is used as a source of physostigmine and was used formerly as an ordeal poison in… … New Collegiate Dictionary
Calabar bean — SYN: physostigma. * * * Cal·a·bar bean kal ə .bär n the dark brown poisonous seed of a tropical African woody vine of the genus Physostigma (P. venenosum) that is used as a source of physostigmine * * * 1. Physostigma venenosum. 2. the poisonous… … Medical dictionary
ordeal bean — noun dark brown highly poisonous seed of the calabar bean vine; source of physostigmine and used in native witchcraft • Syn: ↑calabar bean • Hypernyms: ↑bean • Part Holonyms: ↑calabar bean vine, ↑Physostigma venenosum * * * … Useful english dictionary
Physostigma venenosum — noun tropical African woody vine yielding calabar beans • Syn: ↑calabar bean vine • Hypernyms: ↑vine • Member Holonyms: ↑Physostigma, ↑genus Physostigma • Part Meronyms: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
genus Physostigma — noun African woody vines: calabar beans • Syn: ↑Physostigma • Hypernyms: ↑plant genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Leguminosae, ↑family Leguminosae, ↑Fabaceae, ↑family Fabaceae, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
Physostigma — noun African woody vines: calabar beans • Syn: ↑genus Physostigma • Hypernyms: ↑plant genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Leguminosae, ↑family Leguminosae, ↑Fabaceae, ↑family Fabace … Useful english dictionary
physostigma — The dried seed of P. venenosum (family Leguminosae), a vine of western Africa; it contains the alkaloids physostigmine (eserine), eseramine, eseridine (geneserine) and physovenine; in toxic doses it causes vomiting, colic, salivation, diarrhea,… … Medical dictionary
Calabarbean — Cal·a·bar bean (kălʹə bär) n. The poisonous seed of a tropical western African woody vine (Physostigma venenosum) in the pea family, which has been used as an ordeal poison and is the source of the drug physostigmine. Also called ordeal bean. … … Universalium
