Colocynth

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Colocynth \Col"ocynth\, n. [L. colocynthis, Gr. ?. Cf.
     {Coloquintida}.] (Med.)
     The light spongy pulp of the fruit of the bitter cucumber
     ({Citrullus colocynthis}, or {Cucumis colocynthis}), an
     Asiatic plant allied to the watermelon; coloquintida. It
     comes in white balls, is intensely bitter, and a powerful


     cathartic. Called also {bitter apple}, {bitter cucumber},
     {bitter gourd}.
     [1913 Webster]