bdellium

American  

[del-ee-uhm, -yuhm] / ˈdɛl i əm, -yəm /

noun

1. a fragrant gum resin obtained from certain plants of the genus Commiphora, family Burseraceae, especially the sub-Saharan trees C. africana and C. wightii.

2. a plant yielding a fragrant gum resin.

3. a substance mentioned in the Bible.

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bdellium British  

/ ˈdɛlɪəm /

noun

1. any of several African or W Asian trees of the burseraceous genus Commiphora that yield a gum resin

2. the aromatic gum resin, similar to myrrh, produced by any of these trees

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Etymology

Origin of bdellium

From Latin, from Greek bdéllion, probably from a Semitic word akin to Hebrew bedhōlah, the name of a fragrant yellowish transparent gum

Example Sentences

Among the spices exported, the most celebrated wore bdellium, and the juncus odoratus or odoriferous bulrush.

From The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 6. (of 7): Parthia The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations. by Rawlinson, George

Of nouns in um, some have no need of the plural; as, bdellium, decorum, elysium, equilibrium, guaiacum, laudanum, odium, opium, petroleum, serum, viaticum.

From The Grammar of English Grammars by Brown, Goold

Your statement regarding the action of the oxides of gold, in combination with the tungstate of bdellium, has more than in practice verified itself.

From The Brick Moon and Other Stories by Hale, Edward Everett

The "bdellium" mentioned by Moses in Genesis is a perfuming gum, resembling frankincense, if not identical with it.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by Piesse, George William Septimus

Examples are ammoniacum, asafetida, bdellium, euphorbium, gamboge, myrrh, sagapanum and scammony.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various