Definition of Bitterwood

1. Noun. Handsome South American shrub or small tree having bright scarlet flowers and yielding a valuable fine-grained yellowish wood; yields the bitter drug quassia from its wood and bark.

Exact synonyms: Quassia, Quassia Amara
Generic synonyms: Bitterwood Tree
Group relationships: Genus Quassia

2. Noun. West Indian tree yielding the drug Jamaica quassia.
Exact synonyms: Jamaica Quassia, Picrasma Excelsa, Picrasma Excelsum
Generic synonyms: Bitterwood Tree
Group relationships: Genus Picrasma, Picrasma
Terms within: Jamaica Quassia

3. Noun. Medium to large tree of tropical North and South America having odd-pinnate leaves and long panicles of small pale yellow flowers followed by scarlet fruits.
Exact synonyms: Paradise Tree, Simarouba Glauca
Generic synonyms: Bitterwood Tree
Group relationships: Genus Simarouba, Simarouba

Definition of Bitterwood

1. n. A West Indian tree (Picræna excelsa) from the wood of which the bitter drug Jamaica quassia is obtained.

Definition of Bitterwood

1. Noun. quassia ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Medical Definition of Bitterwood

1. A West Indian tree (Picraena excelsa) from the wood of which the bitter drug Jamaica quassia is obtained. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Bitterwood

bitterns
bitternut
bitternut hickory
bitternuts
bitterroot
bitterroots
bitters
bittersweet
bittersweet chocolate
bittersweet nightshade
bittersweetly
bittersweetness
bittersweets
bitterweed
bitterweeds
bitterwood (current term)
bitterwood tree
bitterwoods
bitterwort
bitterworts
bitthead
bittie
bittier
bitties
bittiest
bittily
bittiness
bittinesses
bitting
bittings

Literary usage of Bitterwood

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Plant Names, Scientific and Popular, Including in the Case of Each Plant the by Albert Brown Lyons (1900)
"Quassia, Bitter Ash, bitterwood tree, Lofty Quassia^. Wood, Quassia wood, Jamaica bitterwood; Quassia, USP, Quassia; lignum, Br., Lignum muscarum v. ..."

2. C.E. Hobbs' Botanical Hand-book: Of Common Local, English, Botanical and by Charles E. Hobbs (1876)
"... Ind'n (ragged) cup plant Prairie burdock, Cedron seed, Nepal bitterwood, ... bitterwood, Mountain damson, Simarouba bark, White mustard, Wild mustard, ..."

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