aloe

[al-oh]

noun, plural al·oes.

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

aloes, (used with a singular verb) agalloch.

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

Contemporary Examples of 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

Historical Examples of aloe

Now the aloe, you know, is of a cumbersome height for a supper ornament.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
It had no gate but a gap in the fence, and no fence but a hedge of the prickly pear and the aloe.
The Scapegoat
Hall Caine
You know what happens to the aloe, sir, when it has flowered?
Fraternity
John Galsworthy
The American aloe, from which cordage is made; similar to the piña of Manila.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth
Near the top were laid sandal, aloe, and other kinds of fragrant wood.
Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms
Fa-Hsien

British Dictionary definitions for aloe

aloe

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

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.

aloe in Medicine

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.