aloe

[al-oh]

noun

plural

aloes 

1. any chiefly African shrub belonging to the genus Aloe, of the lily family, certain species of which yield a fiber.

2. aloe vera.

3. century plant.

4. (used with a singular verb),  aloes, agalloch.

aloe

/ ˌæləʊˈɛtɪk, ˈæləʊ /

noun

1. any plant of the liliaceous genus Aloe, chiefly native to southern Africa, with fleshy spiny-toothed leaves and red or yellow flowers

2. another name for century plant

Other Word Forms

• aloetic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aloe¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English alōe, alow, alewen; Old English al(u)we, alewe (compare Old Saxon, Old High German āloê ), from Latin aloē, from Greek alóē, perhaps from South Asia via Hebrew

Word History and Origins

Origin of aloe¹

C14: from Latin aloē, from Greek