any plant, shrub, or tree belonging to the genus Cassia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves and large clusters of flowers.
any of various cathartic drugs consisting of the dried leaflets of certain of these plants, as one drug Alexandrian senna derived from C. acutifolia, or another Tinnevelly senna derived from C. angustifolia.
any of various tropical plants of the leguminous genus Cassia , esp C. angustifolia ( Arabian senna ) and C. acutifolia ( Alexandrian senna ), having typically yellow flowers and long pods
the dried leaflets of any of these plants, used as a cathartic and laxative
the dried fruits of any of these plants, used as a cathartic and laxative
1535–45; < New Latin < Arabic sanā
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Whether or not they actually suggested it, the “black ball” recipe contains dried raisins and figs, olive oil, charcoal, glycerin, senna and slippery elm.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 7, 2023
Other recent blooms include a native grass called needle grama, brittle creosote, desert senna, Acton encelia or brittlebush, and big galleta grass.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2021
They include various asclepias, tithonia, giant coneflower and the Maryland wild senna, the last a native plant deserving much more garden use.
From Washington Post • May 28, 2019
Flat Tummy Co’s tea contains senna, a laxative, which Scherr said could help with bloating but could also lead to dependence on laxatives.
From The Guardian • Aug. 29, 2018
Senna A safe and efficient aperient for cattle may be made by infusing an ounce of senna in a quart of boiling water.
From The American Reformed Cattle Doctor by Dadd, George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
