Ginseng

2 definitions found

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

  Ginseng \Gin"seng\, n. [Chinese.] (Bot.)
     A plant of the genus {Aralia}, the root of which is highly
     valued as a medicine among the Chinese. The Chinese plant
     ({Aralia Schinseng}) has become so rare that the American
     ({A. quinquefolia}) has largely taken its place, and its root
     is now an article of export from America to China. The root,


     when dry, is of a yellowish white color, with a sweetness in
     the taste somewhat resembling that of licorice, combined with
     a slight aromatic bitterness.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ginseng
       n 1: aromatic root of ginseng plants
       2: Chinese herb with palmately compound leaves and small
          greenish flowers and forked aromatic roots believed to
          have medicinal powers [syn: {nin-sin}, {Panax ginseng}, {Panax
          schinseng}, {Panax pseudoginseng}]