Lexic.us

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.

2. Noun. West Indian tree yielding the drug 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.

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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