aloe

[ al-oh ]

/ ˈæl oʊ /

noun, plural al·oes.

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

aloe vera.

century plant.

aloes, (used with a singular verb) agalloch.

Nearby words

Origin of aloe

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

Related formsal·o·et·ic

[al-oh-et-ik] /ˌæl oʊˈɛt ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aloe

Amenities are plentiful—from sun block to aloe for the sun, or the complimentary mini bar for your enjoyment.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|February 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
These poles were the flower stalks of the great American aloe, or maguey-plant—the only thing resembling wood that grew near.
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid
The great North African aloe plant shows this very strikingly.
Parables of the Christ-life|I. Lilias Trotter
He called the country Fusang, from the name of an abundant plant,—the Mexican "maguey," or American aloe.
America Discovered by the Welsh in 1170 A.D.|Benjamin Franklin Bowen

Close to where I had seated myself grew a large plant of the Mexican aloe (agave Americana).
The War Trail|Mayne Reid
Many plants have spines or thorns, and succulent plants like agave, aloe and prickly pear are common.
Modern Geography|Marion I. Newbigin

British Dictionary definitions for aloe

aloe

/ (ˈæləʊ) /

noun plural -oes

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

American aloe another name for century plant

Derived Formsaloetic (ˌæləʊˈɛtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for aloe

C14: from Latin aloē, from Greek

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for aloe

aloe

Old English alewe "fragrant resin of an East Indian tree," a Biblical usage, from Latin aloe, from Greek aloe, translating Hebrew ahalim (plural, perhaps ultimately from a Dravidian language).

The Greek word probably was chosen for resemblance of sound to the Hebrew, because the Greek and Latin words referred originally to a genus of plants with spiky flowers and bitter juice, used as a purgative drug, a sense which appeared in English late 14c. The word was then misapplied to the American agave plant in 1680s. The "true aloe" consequently is called aloe vera.

Medicine definitions for aloe

aloe

[ ăl′ō ]

n.

Any of various chiefly African plants of the genus Aloe, having rosettes of succulent, often spiny-margined leaves and long stalks bearing yellow, orange, or red tubular flowers.

Aloe vera.

Any of various laxative drugs obtained from the processed juice of a certain species of aloe.