cubeb
[ kyoo-beb ]
/ ˈkyu bɛb /
noun
the spicy fruit or drupe of an East Indian climbing shrub, Piper cubeba, of the pepper family.
Nearby words
cube, cube farm, cube root, cube steak, cube van, cubeb, cubic, cubic centimeter, cubic measure, cubic zirconia, cubical
Origin of cubeb
1250–1300; < Medieval Latin cubēba < Arabic kubābah (classical Arabic kabābah); replacing Middle English cucube, quibibe < Anglo-French, Middle French < Medieval Latin, as above
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for cubeb
There was a strange medicinal odor—as of cubeb cigarettes—in the air.
The Damnation of Theron Ware|Harold FredericAt the beginning of the nineteenth century cubeb disappeared almost entirely from medical practice.
The cubeb is cultivated in Java and Sumatra, the fruits are gathered before they are ripe, and carefully dried.
In the thirteenth century cubeb is mentioned among the import articles of London.
British Dictionary definitions for cubeb
cubeb
/ (ˈkjuːbɛb) /
noun
a SE Asian treelike piperaceous woody climbing plant, Piper cubeba, with brownish berries
the unripe spicy fruit of this plant, dried and used as a stimulant and diuretic and sometimes smoked in cigarettes
Word Origin for cubeb
C14: from Old French cubebe, from Medieval Latin cubēba, from Arabic kubābah
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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