JUNIPERS

Noun

junipers

plural of juniper

Source: Wiktionary


JUNIPER

Ju"ni*per, n. Etym: [L. juniperus, prop., youth-producing, and so called from its evergreen appearance, from the roots of E. juvenile, and parent. Cf. Gin the liquor.] (Bot.)

Definition: Any evergreen shrub or tree, of the genus Juniperus and order Coniferæ.

Note: The common juniper (J. communis) is a shrub of a low, spreading form, having awl-shaped, rigid leaves in whorls of threes, and bearing small purplish blue berries (or galbuli), of a warm, pungent taste, used as diuretic and in flavoring gin. A resin exudes from the bark, which has erroneously been considered identical with sandarach, and is used as pounce. The oil of juniper is acrid, and used for various purposes, as in medicine, for making varnish, etc. The wood of several species is of a reddish color, hard and durable, and is used in cabinetwork under the names of red cedar, Bermuda cedar, etc. Juniper worm (Zoöl.), the larva of a geometrid moth (Drepanodes varus). It feeds upon the leaves of the juniper, and mimics the small twigs both in form and color, in a remarkable manner.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

5 June 2025

UNDERLAY

(verb) raise or support (the level of printing) by inserting a piece of paper or cardboard under the type; “underlay the plate”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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