DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Neem tree Bot. An Asiatic name for Melia Azadirachta, and Melia Azedarach. See Margosa.
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Mar·go·sa n. Bot. A large tree of the genus Melia (Melia Azadirachta) found in India. Its bark is bitter, and used as a tonic. A valuable oil is expressed from its seeds, and a tenacious gum exudes from its trunk. The Melia Azedarach is a much more showy tree, and is cultivated in the Southern United States, where it is known as Pride of India, Pride of China, or bead tree. Various parts of the tree are considered anthelmintic.
The margosa oil . . . is a most valuable balsam for wounds, having a peculiar smell which prevents the attacks of flies. --Sir S. Baker.
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A·zed·a·rach, azederach n.
1. Bot. a handsome tree (Melia azedarach) of the mahogany family, native to Northern India and China, having long clusters of fragrant purple blossoms and small ornamental but inedible yellow fruits. It has been naturalized as a shade tree and is common in the southern United States; -- called also, chinaberry, China tree, Pride of India, Pride of China, and Bead tree.
Syn: -- chinaberry, chinaberry tree, China tree, Persian lilac, pride-of-India, azedarach, Melia azederach, Melia azedarach
2. Med. The bark of the roots of the azedarach, used as a cathartic and emetic.
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Bead n.
1. A prayer. [Obs.]
2. A little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and worn for ornament; or used in a rosary for counting prayers, as by Roman Catholics and Muslims, whence the phrases to tell beads, to be at one's beads, to bid beads, etc., meaning, to be at prayer.
3. Any small globular body; as, (a) A bubble in spirits. (b) A drop of sweat or other liquid. “Cold beads of midnight dew.” --Wordsworth. (c) A small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to take aim). (d) Arch. A small molding of rounded surface, the section being usually an arc of a circle. It may be continuous, or broken into short embossments. (e) Chem. A glassy drop of molten flux, as borax or microcosmic salt, used as a solvent and color test for several mineral earths and oxides, as of iron, manganese, etc., before the blowpipe; as, the borax bead; the iron bead, etc.
Bead and butt Carp., framing in which the panels are flush, having beads stuck or run upon the two edges. --Knight.
Bead mold, a species of fungus or mold, the stems of which consist of single cells loosely jointed together so as to resemble a string of beads. [Written also bead mould.]
Bead tool, a cutting tool, having an edge curved so as to make beads or beading.
Bead tree Bot., a tree of the genus Melia, the best known species of which (Melia azedarach), has blue flowers which are very fragrant, and berries which are poisonous.
Melia azedarach
n : tree of northern India and China having purple blossoms and
small inedible yellow fruits; naturalized in the southern
United States as a shade tree [syn: chinaberry, chinaberry
tree, China tree, Persian lilac, pride-of-India, azederach,
azedarach, Melia azederach]