RHEUM

Rheum, genus Rheum

(noun) rhubarb

rheum

(noun) a watery discharge from the mucous membranes (especially from the eyes or nose)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

rheum (countable and uncountable, plural rheums)

(uncountable) Watery or thin discharge of serum or mucus, especially from the eyes or nose, formerly thought to cause disease. [from 14th c.]

Illness or disease thought to be caused by such secretions; a catarrh, a cold; rheumatism. [from 14th c.]

(poetic) Tears. [from 16th c.]

Hyponyms

• (dried rheum around eyes): crusty (slang), gound (UK dialectal), sleep, sleepy dust (informal)

Source: Wiktionary

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Rhe"um, n. Etym: [NL., from L. Rha the river Volga, on the banks of which it grows. See Rhubarb.] (Bot.)

Definition: A genus of plants. See Rhubarb.

Rheum, n. Etym: [OF. reume, rheume, F. rhume a cold,, L. rheuma rheum, from Gr. stream. See Stream, n., and cf. Hemorrhoids.] (Med.)

Definition: A serous or mucous discharge, especially one from the eves or nose. I have a rheum in mine eyes too. Shak. Salt rheum. (Med.) See Salt rheum, in the Vocab.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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