Curcuma

3 definitions found

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

  Zedoary \Zed"o*a*ry\, n. [F. z['e]doaire, LL. zedoaria; cf. It.
     zedoaria, zettovario, Pg. zedoaria, Sp. zedoaria, cedoaria;
     all fr. Ar. & Per. zedw?r.] (Med.)
     A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a
     fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste. It is
     used in medicine as a stimulant.


     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: It is the rhizome of different species of {Curcuma},
           esp. {Curcuma zedoaria}, and comes in short, firm
           pieces, externally of a wrinkled gray, ash-colored
           appearance, but within of a brownish red color. There
           are two kinds, round zedoary, and long zedoary.
           [1913 Webster]

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

  Curcuma \Cur"cu*ma\ (k?r"k?-m?), n. [Cf. F., It., & Sp. curcuma;
     all fr. Ar. kurkum. Cf. {Turmeric}.] (Bot.)
     A genus of plants of the order {Scitamine[ae]}, including the
     turmeric plant ({Curcuma longa}).
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Curcuma paper}. (Chem.) See {Turmeric paper}, under
        {Turmeric}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Curcuma
       n : tropical Asiatic perennial herbs [syn: {genus Curcuma}]