zedoary

American  

[zed-oh-er-ee] / ˈzɛd oʊˌɛr i /

noun

1. an East Indian drug consisting of the rhizome of either of two species of curcuma, Curcuma zedoaria or C. aromatica, used as a stimulant.

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zedoary British  

/ ˈzɛdəʊərɪ /

noun

1. the dried rhizome of the tropical Asian plant Curcuma zedoaria, used as a stimulant and a condiment: family Zingiberaceae

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Etymology

Origin of zedoary

1425–75; late Middle English zeduarye < Medieval Latin zeduāria < Arabic zadwār (< Persian ) + Latin -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

From ajowan to zedoary, there are hundreds of other herbs available, in 17th century Herbalist John Parkinson's phrase, "for use and delight."

From Time Magazine Archive

Curcuma zedoaria.—This plant furnishes zedoary tubers, much used in India as aromatic tonics.

From Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture by Saunders, William

Zerumbet, zē-rum′bet, n. an East Indian drug, the cassumunar—sometimes for the round zedoary.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

The other contains prepared herbs which are useful as preventives--tormentil, valerian, zedoary, angelica, and so forth; but I take it that pure vinegar is as good an antidote to infection as anything one can find.

From The Sign of the Red Cross by Everett-Green, Evelyn

He likewise chewed a small piece of Virginian snake-root, or zedoary, if he approached any place supposed to be infected.

From Old Saint Paul's A Tale of the Plague and the Fire by Ainsworth, William Harrison