manchineel
(mæntʃɪˈniːl)
Forms: 7 mancinell, manchonele, -chioneel, -chionell, -tionell, -zanilla, manchinelo, 7–8 man{cced}anilla, 8 mansanillo, man{cced}anillo, -chinello, mansaneel, manchaneel, mangeneel, manchenille, -eel, manchinelle, -ello, machinel, 8–9 machineel, manchineal, 9 machinelle, manchioneal, manzanillo, 7– manchineel.
[a. F. mancenille, a. Sp. manzanilla, dim. of manzana apple, altered form of OSp. mazana (= Pg. mazãa):—L. matiāna (neut. pl., sc. poma, mala) a kind of apple, named from the Roman gens Matia.]
1. A West Indian tree, Hippomane Mancinella, having a poisonous and caustic milky sap, and acrid fruit somewhat resembling an apple. Also manchineel tree (see 2).
| 1630 [see 2]. 1657 R. Ligon Barbados 68 And as this tree's poyson is in her sap, so the Mantionell's is in her fruit. 1672 R. Blome Descr. Jamaica 27 Here is the Manchonele, which is a kind of a Crab, so common in all the Caribbee Isles. 1747 Catesby in Phil. Trans. XLIV. 603 These Plants..grow on large Trees; particularly Mahogony, Sappadillo, Man{cced}anilla, &c. 1777 Robertson Hist. Amer. (1783) II. 101 In other parts of America, they employ the juice of the manchenille,..and it operates with no less fatal activity. 1793 W. Mavor Chr. Politics 18 The Tree of Liberty, which has proved more baneful than the Manchineel to those who have sought its shade. 1801 Southey Thalaba ix. xxiii, With the mandrake and the manchineel She builds her pile accurst. 1871 Kingsley At Last i, We learnt to distinguish the poisonous Manchineel. |
b. bastard manchineel, a West Indian tree,
Cameraria latifolia.
| 1838 Lindley Flora Med. 537 Cameraria latifolia... Bastard Manchineel tree. 1864 Grisebach Flora W. Ind. 785. |
c. A poison obtained from the manchineel tree.
| 1891 ‘J. Evelyn’ Baffled Vengeance iii. 35 Putting a pinch of manchineel or some other poison in his chocolate. |
d. The wood of the machineel tree.
| 1683 J. Poyntz Tobago 30 Manchioneel, is a sort of Timber for Plank, and Sheathing. |
2. attrib., as
manchineel apple,
manchineel bush,
manchineel tree.
| 1630 Capt. Smith Trav. & Adv. 55 The *Mancinell apple. 1750 G. Hughes Barbadoes 123 The pulp of these Manchaneel apples. |
| 1871 Kingsley At Last vi, To feel our way..cautiously..past the *Manchineel bush. |
| 1696 Phillips (ed. 5), *Manchinelo Tree, a Tree that grows wild in the woods of Jamaica. 1707 Sloane Jamaica I. p. cxx, In felling a mansanillo tree..some of the milk spurted into his eye. 1766 Chron. in Ann. Reg. 109/2 A very rich crimson die, from a preparation of the fruit of the manchineal tree. 1830 Lindley Nat. Syst. Bot. 105 The famous Manchineel tree..is said to be so poisonous, that persons have died from merely sleeping beneath its shade. |