colocynth

• colocynthis

From Latin colocynthis, from Ancient Greek κολοκυνθίς (kolokunthís), ultimately Pre-Greek.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒ.lə.sɪnθ/

• Audio (UK):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑ.lə.sɪnθ/
• Rhymes: -ɪnθ
• Hyphenation: co‧lo‧cynth

colocynth (countable and uncountable, plural colocynths)

1. A viny plant, Citrullus colocynthis, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. It produces a lemon-sized, yellowish, green-mottled, spongy, and extremely bitter fruit.
2. The powdered pulp of this fruit, a powerful hepatic stimulant and hydragogue cathartic used as a strong laxative.

• (Citrullus colocynthis): bitter apple, bitter cucumber, bitter melon, egusi, vine of Sodom, desert gourd

• colocynth on Wikipedia.Wikipedia