‖ guaiacum
(ˈgwaɪəkəm)
Forms: 6 guaicum, guiacan, 6–7 guaiacan, 7 guacum, gwacum, gwakin, 7–8 guajacum, 6– guiacum, guaiacum.
[mod.L., ad. Sp. guayaco, guayacan, of native Haitian origin.]
1. A genus of trees and shrubs (N.O. Zygophyllaceæ), native to the West Indies and the warmer parts of America; a tree of this genus, esp. Guaiacum officinale and G. sanctum.
| 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 40 The wood of Guiacum, otherwyse called Lignum Sanctum, wherewith dyuerse diseases are healed by the order of the newe dyete. 1626 Bacon Sylva §456 Some Hot Trees, as Turpentine, Mastick-Tree, Guaiacum, Iuniper, &c. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 66 Guajacum..is a Tree the Size of a common Walnut Tree. 1792 M. Riddell Voy. Madeira 90 The guiacum, or lignum vitae, is found here. The bark is white and gummy, the leaves winged, the blossoms of a beautiful violet colour, and the berries are used as bitters. |
2. The hard and heavy brownish-green wood of G. officinale and G. sanctum, used in medicine; lignum vitæ.
| 1533 T. Paynell tr. Hutten's De Morbo Gall. vi. 11 Yet hath this woode Guaiacum alwayes bene there vsed. 1580 Frampton tr. Monardes 10 b, The Guiacan that is called the wood of the Indias. 1671 Salmon Syn. Med. iii. xxii. 423 The Oak; the salt expells Urine and gravel; the wood is of like use as Guajacum. 1744 Berkeley Siris §47 Guaiacum, and other medicinal woods. 1876 E. E. Frewer tr. J. Verne's Adv. 3 Eng. & 3 Russians iii. 32 They had laid in a good stock of ebony and guaiacum. |
3. A resin obtained from the tree; also, the drug prepared from it. Also gum guaiacum.
| 1553 in Lodge Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1791) I. xxii. 165 He told me that his Ma{supt}{supi}⊇ taketh Guaiacum, & is far better now than he was a xii dayes sins. 1605 B. Jonson Volpone ii. i, Ne yet, of guacum one small stick, sir, Nor Raymond Lollies great elixir. 1636 Davenant Witts iv. i. Dram. Wks. 1872 II. 188 His Afflicted female..feeds him with beds of guacum For his salad, and pulp of salsa for His bread. 1663 Boyle Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos. ii. App. 386 Some of our eminentist English Doctors..have not scrupled of late years to use the strong and fetid chymical oyles of Amber and Guajacum. 1686 Lond. Gaz. No. 2186/1, 12 Thousand Quintals of Cakau of Caracas and Gwakin. 1741 Compl. Family-Piece i. i. 20 Take Gum-Guaiacum 1 Ounce. 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. 47 Oils of guajacum, box, &c...are found heavier than water. 1813 J. Thomson Lect. Inflam. 199 The guaiacum, sarsaparilla, [etc.]..have all been supposed to be useful in the cure of scrophula. |
4. attrib., as guaiacum-bark, guaiacum-lozenge, guaiacum-potion, guaiacum-resin, guaiacum-test, guaiacum-tree, guaiacum-wood.
| 1596 Burrough Meth. Phisick (ed. 3) 375 The guaiacum potion is wont sometimes to worke that effect. 1605 Timme Quersit. i. xiii. 65 The Boxe, the Oake, Guaiacan Tree, and such like. 1812 J. Smyth Pract. Customs (1821) 40 Guiacum Bark. 1876 Gross Dis. Bladder 31 The guaiacum test of Dr. Day. 1879 St. George's Hosp. Rep. IX. 599 Guaiacum lozenges. |