Spikenard

3 definitions found

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

  Spikenard \Spike"nard\, n.[For spiked nard; cf. G. spieknarde,
     NL. spica nardi. See {Spike} an ear, and {Nard}.]
     1. (Bot.) An aromatic plant. In the United States it is the
        {Aralia racemosa}, often called {spignet}, and used as a
        medicine. The spikenard of the ancients is the
        {Nardostachys Jatamansi}, a native of the Himalayan


        region. From its blackish roots a perfume for the hair is
        still prepared in India.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A fragrant essential oil, as that from the {Nardostachys
        Jatamansi}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spikenard
       n : an aromatic ointment used in antiquity [syn: {nard}]

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Spikenard
     (Heb. nerd), a much-valued perfume (Cant. 1:12; 4:13, 14). It
     was "very precious", i.e., very costly (Mark 14:3; John 12:3,5).
     It is the root of an Indian plant, the Nardostachys jatamansi,
     of the family of Valeriance, growing on the Himalaya mountains.
     It is distinguished by its having many hairy spikes shooting out
     from one root. It is called by the Arabs sunbul Hindi, "the
     Indian spike." In the New Testament this word is the rendering
     of the Greek nardos pistike. The margin of the Revised Version
     in these passages has "pistic nard," pistic being perhaps a
     local name. Some take it to mean genuine, and others liquid. The
     most probable opinion is that the word pistike designates the
     nard as genuine or faithfully prepared.