aloe
[al-oh]
- 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.
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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
agalloch
[uh-gal-uh k, ag-uh-lok]
- the fragrant, resinous wood of an East Indian tree, Aquilaria agallocha, of the mezereum family, used as incense in Asia.
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Origin of agalloch
1625–35; < Late Latin agallochon < Greek agállochon (altered by influence of agállein to decorate); ultimately of Dravidian orig.; see eaglewood
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for aloes
Historical Examples
Nicodemus brought a large quantity of myrrh and aloes, about a hundredweight.
Jesus the ChristJames Edward Talmage
I laugh; I see they are the aloes only, planted here in rows along the road.
RitaLaura E. Richards
Aloes one grain-pill every hour will frequently stay in the stomach.
Zoonomia, Vol. IIErasmus Darwin
A pill of aloes and iron is one of the best that can be given.
Sleep tranquilly in your lairs amongst the aloes and the cactus!
Tartarin de TarasconAlphonse Daudet
aloes
- Also called: aloes wood another name for eaglewood
- bitter aloes a bitter purgative drug made from the leaves of several species of aloe
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agalloch
- another name for eaglewood
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Word Origin
C17: from Greek agallokhon
aloe
- 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
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin aloē, from Greek
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for aloes
aloe
n.
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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
aloe
(ăl′ō)- 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.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.