bdellium

[ del-ee-uhm, -yuhm ]

noun

a fragrant gum resin obtained from certain plants of the genus Commiphora, family Burseraceae, especially the sub-Saharan trees C. africana and C. wightii.
a plant yielding this resin.

a substance mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 2:12; Numbers 11:7.

Origin of bdellium

From Latin, from Greek bdéllion, probably from a Semitic word akin to Hebrew bedhōlah, the name of a fragrant yellowish transparent gum

Words Nearby bdellium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bdellium in a sentence

Take three drachms of gum bdellium, put the stone pyrites on the coals, and let her take the fumes into her womb.
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher | Anonymous
Or take bdellium flowers, half an ounce, and with oil of roses make a liniment.
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher | Anonymous
The "bdellium" mentioned by Moses in Genesis is a perfuming gum, resembling frankincense, if not identical with it.
The Art of Perfumery | G. W. Septimus Piesse
In his quaint but sincere fashion he had preached of gold and precious jewels; of bdellium and the onyx stone.
Furze the Cruel | John Trevena
This contains litharge, bdellium, and "green brasse," but no loadstone.
On the magnet, magnetick bodies also, and on the great magnet the earth | William Gilbert of Colchester

British Dictionary definitions for bdellium

bdellium

/ (ˈdɛlɪəm) /

noun

any of several African or W Asian trees of the burseraceous genus Commiphora that yield a gum resin
the aromatic gum resin, similar to myrrh, produced by any of these trees

Origin of bdellium

C16: from Latin, from Greek bdellion, perhaps from Hebrew bědhōlah

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

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