bryony

or bri·o·ny

[brahy-uh-nee]

noun, plural bry·o·nies.

any Old World vine or climbing plant belonging to the genus Bryonia, of the gourd family, yielding acrid juice having emetic and purgative properties.

Origin of bryony

before 1000; Middle English brionie, Old English bryōnia < Latin < Greek: a wild vine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bryony

Historical Examples of bryony

Like the Purpura and the Pterocera, the bryony and other shells and plants.
The Evolution of the Dragon
G. Elliot Smith
The hops seem to be the most powerful, and hold the bryony in the background.
The Toilers of the Field
Richard Jefferies
Without the bryony this preparation is known as Aqua hysterica.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley
Bryony, brī′o-ni, n. a wild climbing plant, common in English hedgerows.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)
Various
Both have vine-like leaves; but the hops are wrinkled, those of the bryony hairy or rough to the touch.
The Toilers of the Field
Richard Jefferies

British Dictionary definitions for bryony

bryony

briony

noun plural -nies

any of several herbaceous climbing plants of the cucurbitaceous genus Bryonia, of Europe and N AfricaSee also black bryony, white bryony

Word Origin for bryony

Old English bryōnia, from Latin, from Greek bruōnia

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