storax

American  

[stawr-aks, stohr-] / ˈstɔr æks, ˈstoʊr- /

noun

1. a solid resin with a vanillalike odor, obtained from a small tree, Styrax officinalis: formerly used in medicine and perfumery.

2. a liquid balsam liquid storax obtained from species of liquidambar, especially from the wood and inner bark of Liquidambar orientalis Levant storax, a tree of Asia Minor: used chiefly in medicine and perfumery.

3. any shrub or tree of the genus Styrax, of the storax family, having elongated clusters of showy, white flowers.

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storax British  

/ ˈstɔːræks /

noun

1. any of numerous styracaceous trees or shrubs of the genus Styrax, of tropical and subtropical regions, having drooping showy white flowers

2. a vanilla-scented solid resin obtained from one of these trees, Styrax officinalis of the Mediterranean region and SW Asia, formerly used as incense and in perfumery and medicine

3. a liquid aromatic balsam obtained from liquidambar trees, esp Liquidambar orientalis of SW Asia, and used in perfumery and medicine

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Etymology

Origin of storax

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin, variant of styrax < Greek stýrax

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

storax

They perfumed it with storax, or benzoin, and other perfumes, obtained from tree-resins which are found throughout these forests.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55 1690-1691 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by Blair, Emma Helen

It is a new species of Trixis, extremely resinous, the flowers of which have the agreeable odour of storax.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Ross, Thomasina

Liquid storax is now used to anoint the tongue when red-hot irons are to be placed in the mouth.

From The Miracle Mongers, an Exposé by Houdini, Harry

Benzoin, dragon's-blood, and storax are not true balsams, though sometimes called so.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various

Make pessaries of storax, aloes, with the roots of dictam, aristolochia and gentian, but instead of this you may use the pessary prescribed at the end of Chapter XVII.

From The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy by Aristotle