Eugenia Bot.
(juːˈdʒiːnɪə)
[mod.Lat.: the name was given in 1729 by Micheli in honour of Eugene, Prince of Savoy.]
A genus of tropical trees (family Myrtaceæ), mostly found in America and the West Indies, of which the most important is E. Pimenta or Allspice Tree.
| 1775 Ash, Eugenia, a genus of plants, the silver tree. 1875 I. L. Bird Sandwich Isl. (1880) 81 The great glossy-leaved Eugenia—a forest tree as large as our largest elms. |
Hence euˈgenic (acid) [+ -ic], C10H12O2, oxidized essence of cloves. ˈeugenin [+ -in], clove-camphor; a crystalline substance deposited from water which has been distilled from cloves. ˈeugenol [+ -ol] = eugenic acid.
| 1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies App. 1057 Oil of cloves, or eugenic acid. 1882 Watts Dict. Chem. II. 604 Eugenic acid, when exposed to the air, quickly assumes a darker colour and becomes resinous. 1847 Craig, Eugenin. 1886 Sci. American 25 Sept. 196 Eugenol represents the strength of the essential oil of cloves. |