quill, calamus, shaft
(noun) the hollow spine of a feather
Calamus, genus Calamus
(noun) a genus of Sparidae
calamus
(noun) the aromatic root of the sweet flag used medicinally
calamus
(noun) any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus; light tough stems are a source of rattan canes
Source: WordNet® 3.1
calamus (usually uncountable, plural calamuses or calami)
The sweet flag, Acorus calamus.
(ornithology) A quill; the hard, horny, hollow, and more or less transparent part of the stem or scape of a feather.
(Christianity, historical) synonym of fistula
Source: Wiktionary
Cal"a*mus, n.; pl. Calami. Etym: [L., a reed. See Halm.]
1. (Bot.)
Definition: The indian cane, a plant of the Palm family. It furnishes the common rattan. See Rattan, and Dragon's blood.
2. (Bot.)
Definition: A species of Acorus (A. calamus), commonly called calamus, or sweet flag. The root has a pungent, aromatic taste, and is used in medicine as a stomachic; the leaves have an aromatic odor, and were formerly used instead of rushes to strew on floors.
3. (Zoöl.)
Definition: The horny basal portion of a feather; the barrel or quill.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
25 November 2024
(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
