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  • senna
    senna
    noun
    any plant, shrub, or tree belonging to the genus Cassia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves and large clusters of flowers.
  • Senna
    Senna
    noun
    Ayrton (ˈɛətən). 1960–94, Brazilian racing driver: world champion (1988, 1990, 1991)

senna

American  
[sen-uh] / ˈsɛn ə /

noun

  1. any plant, shrub, or tree belonging to the genus Cassia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves and large clusters of flowers.

  2. any of various cathartic drugs consisting of the dried leaflets of certain of these plants, as one drug Alexandrian senna derived from C. acutifolia, or another Tinnevelly senna derived from C. angustifolia.

  3. wild senna.


senna 1 British  
/ ˈsɛnə /

noun

  1. any of various tropical plants of the leguminous genus Cassia , esp C. angustifolia ( Arabian senna ) and C. acutifolia ( Alexandrian senna ), having typically yellow flowers and long pods

  2. the dried leaflets of any of these plants, used as a cathartic and laxative

  3. the dried fruits of any of these plants, used as a cathartic and laxative

"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

Senna 2 British  
/ ˈsɛnə /

noun

  1. Ayrton (ˈɛətən). 1960–94, Brazilian racing driver: world champion (1988, 1990, 1991)

"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

Etymology

Origin of senna

1535–45; < New Latin < Arabic sanā

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Whether or not they actually suggested it, the “black ball” recipe contains dried raisins and figs, olive oil, charcoal, glycerin, senna and slippery elm.

From Seattle Times Jun. 7, 2023

Other recent blooms include a native grass called needle grama, brittle creosote, desert senna, Acton encelia or brittlebush, and big galleta grass.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 8, 2021

They include various asclepias, tithonia, giant coneflower and the Maryland wild senna, the last a native plant deserving much more garden use.

From Washington Post May 28, 2019

Flat Tummy Co’s tea contains senna, a laxative, which Scherr said could help with bloating but could also lead to dependence on laxatives.

From The Guardian Aug. 29, 2018

And now the senna and camomile were to flavour all her life.

From The Doctor's Wife by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon

Daniel Senna, a 31-year-old patient at the Maugeri Hospital, transmits his pain level on a screen attached to the robot's chest.

From Barron's Jun. 19, 2026

Marshals clamber over the barrier at Portier to attend to the damaged McLaren of Ayrton Senna, who crashed out of the lead in 1988 when leading by about 50 seconds.

From BBC Jun. 1, 2026

In 1984, Ayrton Senna demonstrated his potential and sublime wet-weather skills by moving from 13th on the grid up to second place in his Toleman.

From BBC Jun. 1, 2026

Donnelly explained that he and Senna were reasonably close.

From BBC Feb. 27, 2026

I saw a director, the Muslim-Indian director, capture the smoking, tragic charisma of Ayrton Senna.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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