purging nut

noun

1. physic nut.

Word History and Origins

Origin of purging nut¹

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

Physic′iancy, post or office of physician; Physic′ianship; Phys′ic-nut, Barbadoes or Purging nut, the seeds of Jatropha curcas.—Physic garden, a botanical garden.

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Curcas oil is produced in Portugal from the seeds of the "purging nut tree," which is similar to the castor oil plant, and is cultivated in Cape Verde Islands and other Portuguese Colonies.

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