scammony

[ skam-uh-nee ]

/ ˈskæm ə ni /

Save This Word!

noun, plural scam·mo·nies.

a twining, Asian convolvulus, Convolvulus scammonia.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of scammony

before 1000; Middle English scamonie,Old English <Latin scamōnia<Greek skamōnía

OTHER WORDS FROM scammony

scam·mo·ni·ate

[ska-moh-nee-it], /skæˈmoʊ ni ɪt/, adjective

Words nearby scammony

scam, Scamander, scambaiting, scamillus, scammer, scammony, scamp, scamper, scampi, scamster, scamto

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

How to use scammony in a sentence

When pure or virgin scammony can be procured it is an unnecessary preparation.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Thus Scammony does not act so well, and does not gripe, when the bowels are lined with mucus.
The Action of Medicines in the System|Frederick William Headland
This is probably the case with such as Castor-oil, Scammony, and Jalap, which are simply cathartic in their action.
The Action of Medicines in the System|Frederick William Headland
The resins of Jalap, Scammony, and other such substances, are affirmed to pass out along with them.
The Action of Medicines in the System|Frederick William Headland

Thou cleanest the stomach like scammony, the lungs like hyssop; thou purgest the head like pyrethrig.
The Non-religion of the Future: A Sociological Study|Jean-Marie Guyau

British Dictionary definitions for scammony

scammony

/ (ˈskæmənɪ) /

noun plural -nies

a twining Asian convolvulus plant, Convolvulus scammonia, having arrow-shaped leaves, white or purple flowers, and tuberous roots

a resinous juice obtained from the roots of this plant and having purgative properties

any of various similar medicinal resins or the plants that yield them

Derived forms of scammony

scammoniate (skæˈməʊnɪɪt), adjective

Word Origin for scammony

Old English, via Latin from Greek skammōnia, of obscure origin

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