squill
[skwil]
- the bulb of the sea onion, Urginea maritima, of the lily family, cut into thin slices and dried, and used in medicine chiefly as an expectorant.
- the plant itself.
- any related plant of the genus Scilla.
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Origin of squill
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin squilla, variant of scilla < Greek skílla
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for squill
Historical Examples
It is not improbable that the squill might have some share in this cure.
An Account of the Foxglove and some of its Medical UsesWilliam Withering
Blaze, Stubbs, and Squill chanced to be out that day along the shore.
The Crew of the Water WagtailR.M. Ballantyne
Squill, being in a meditative mood, had fallen behind his comrades.
The Crew of the Water WagtailR.M. Ballantyne
There was also a tail to the fish—which Squill called a “divil-fish”—shaped like a fin.
The Crew of the Water WagtailR.M. Ballantyne
These plants are known to the public as Meerzwiebel (sea onion or squill), but they are only related to that plant in appearance.
squill
- See sea squill
- the bulb of the sea squill, formerly used medicinally as an expectorant after being sliced and dried
- any Old World liliaceous plant of the genus Scilla, such as S. verna (spring squill) of Europe, having small blue or purple flowers
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin squilla sea onion, from Greek skilla, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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