bryony

bryony
/bruy"euh nee/, n., pl. bryonies.
any Old World vine or climbing plant belonging to the genus Bryonia, of the gourd family, yielding acrid juice having emetic and purgative properties.
Also, briony.
[bef. 1000; ME brionie, OE bryonia < L < Gk: a wild vine]

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▪ plant genus
      (genus Bryonia), any of about 12 species of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). These plants are mostly herbs or long-tendriled climbing vines that are native to Eurasia. White bryony (B. cretica or B. dioica) has a thick, fleshy white root, large lobed leaves, pale yellow flowers arranged in clusters in the leaf axils, and small red berries. In North America, white bryony refers to B. alba, which differs from B. cretica in having male and female flowers on the same plant and in having black berries. B. cretica was formerly used as a cathartic and as a diuretic. The plant contains the poisonous alkaloid bryonin.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Bryony — Bry o*ny (br[imac] [ o]*n[y^]), n. [L. bryonia, Gr. brywni a, fr. bry ein to swell, esp. of plants.] (Bot.) The common name of several cucurbitaceous plants of the genus {Bryonia}. The root of {Bryonia alba} ({rough bryony} or {white bryony}) and …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bryony — f English: from the name of the plant (Greek bryonia). This is one of a more recently coined (20th century) batch of names taken from vocabulary words denoting flowers. Variant: Briony …   First names dictionary

  • bryony — ► NOUN (pl. bryonies) ▪ a climbing hedgerow plant with red berries. ORIGIN Greek bru nia …   English terms dictionary

  • bryony — [brī′ə nē] n. pl. bryonies [L bryonia < Gr bryōnia < bryein: see BRYOLOGY] any of a genus (Bryonia) of perennial vines of the gourd family with large fleshy roots and greenish flowers …   English World dictionary

  • Bryony — This article is for plants in genus Bryonia. See also Black Bryony .Taxobox name = Bryonia image width = 250px image caption = Bryonia alba (white briony) regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Cucurbitales… …   Wikipedia

  • bryony — [ brʌɪəni] noun (plural bryonies) a climbing hedgerow plant with red berries. [Bryonia dioica (white bryony) and Tamus communis (black bryony).] Origin OE, via L. from Gk bruōnia …   English new terms dictionary

  • bryony — /ˈbraɪəni/ (say bruyuhnee) noun (plural bryonies) 1. any plant of the genus Bryonia or related genera of the family Cucurbitaceae, comprising vines or climbers with acrid juice and emetic and purgative properties, as white bryony, Bryonia dioica …  

  • bryony — brienė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Moliūginių (Cucurbitaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Bryonia). atitikmenys: lot. Bryonia angl. bryony vok. Zaunrübe rus. бриония; переступень lenk. przestęp …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • bryony — n. (pl. ies) any climbing plant of the genus Bryonia, esp. B. dioica bearing greenish white flowers and red berries. Phrases and idioms: black bryony a similar unrelated plant, Tamus communis, bearing poisonous berries. Etymology: L bryonia f. Gk …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bryony Lavery — (born 1947) is a British dramatist, known for her successful and award winning 2004 play Frozen . In addition to her work in theatre, she has also written for television and radio. She has written books including the biography Tallulah Bankhead… …   Wikipedia

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