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11 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Strychnos \Strych"nos\, n. [L., a kind of nightshade, Gr. ?.]
(Bot.)
A genus of tropical trees and shrubs of the order
Loganiace[ae]. See Nux vomica.
[1913 Webster]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Ordeal \Or"de*al\ ([^o]r"d[-e]*al), n. [AS. ord[=a]l, ord[=ae]l,
a judgment; akin to D. oordeel, G. urteil, urtheil; orig.,
what is dealt out, the prefix or- being akin to [=a]-
compounded with verbs, G. er-, ur-, Goth. us-, orig. meaning,
out. See Deal, v. & n., and cf. Arise, Ort.]
1. An ancient form of test to determine guilt or innocence,
by appealing to a supernatural decision, -- once common in
Europe, and still practiced in the East and by savage
tribes.
Note: In England ordeal by fire and ordeal by water were
used, the former confined to persons of rank, the
latter to the common people. The ordeal by fire was
performed, either by handling red-hot iron, or by
walking barefoot and blindfold over red-hot plowshares,
laid at unequal distances. If the person escaped
unhurt, he was adjudged innocent; otherwise he was
condemned as guilty. The ordeal by water was performed,
either by plunging the bare arm to the elbow in boiling
water, an escape from injury being taken as proof of
innocence, or by casting the accused person, bound hand
and foot, into a river or pond, when if he floated it
was an evidence of guilt, but if he sunk he was
acquitted. It is probable that the proverbial phrase,
to go through fire and water, denoting severe trial or
danger, is derived from the ordeal. See Wager of
battle, under Wager.
2. Any severe trial, or test; a painful experience.
Ordeal bean. (Bot.) See Calabar bean, under Calabar.
Ordeal root (Bot.) the root of a species of Strychnos
growing in West Africa, used, like the ordeal bean, in
trials for witchcraft.
Ordeal tree (Bot.), a poisonous tree of Madagascar
({Tanghinia, or Cerbera, venenata). Persons suspected of
crime are forced to eat the seeds of the plumlike fruit,
and criminals are put to death by being pricked with a
lance dipped in the juice of the seeds.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Strychnos \Strych"nos\, n. [L., a kind of nightshade, Gr. ?.]
(Bot.)
A genus of tropical trees and shrubs of the order
Loganiace[ae]. See Nux vomica.
From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]
strychnos
Latin n.
A kind of nightshade
From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]
Strychnos
Translingual n.
(taxon genus family Loganiaceae various flowering plants, including
the strychnine tree)
From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]
strychnos
Latin n.
A kind of nightshade
From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]
Strychnos
Translingual n.
(taxon genus family Loganiaceae various flowering plants, including
the strychnine tree)
From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]
strychnos
Latin n.
A kind of nightshade
From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]
Strychnos
Translingual n.
(taxon genus family Loganiaceae various flowering plants, including
the strychnine tree)
From français-Svenska FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:fra-swe ]
strychnos /stʁik.nɔs/
rävkaketräd
From XDICT the English-Chinese dictionary : [ xdict ]
Strychnos
马钱属
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