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galingale

[gal-in-geyl, -ing-]
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noun
  1. any sedge of the genus Cyperus, especially an Old World species, C. longus, having aromatic roots.
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Origin of galingale

1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French galingal, garingal < Arabic khalanjān < Persian khūlanjān
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for galingale

Historical Examples

  • There are oak trees—here only galingale blows, here sweetly hum the bees about the hives!

    Theocritus, Bion and Moschus

    Theocritus

  • Here be oak trees, and here the galingale, and sweetly here hum the bees about the hives.

British Dictionary definitions for galingale

galingale

galangal

noun
  1. a European cyperaceous plant, Cyperus longus, with rough-edged leaves, reddish spikelets of flowers, and aromatic roots
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Word Origin

C13: from Old French galingal, from Arabic khalanjān, from Chinese kaoliang-chiang, from Kaoliang district in Guangdong province + chiang ginger
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