SPIKENARD

nard, spikenard

(noun) an aromatic ointment used in antiquity

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

spikenard (countable and uncountable, plural spikenards)

A perfumed ointment, extracted from the plant Nardostachys jatamansi that belongs to the Valerian family and grows in the Himalayas.

The plant Nardostachys jatamansi (syn. Nardostachys grandiflora).

Lavandula stoechas, another species used in antiquity to produce an aromatic oil.

Any plant of the genus Aralia of the Araliaceae family.

false spikenard (Maianthemum racemosum, syn. Smilacina racemosa)

Ploughman's spikenard (Inula conyza, now Pentanema conyzae).

wild spikenard (Asarum europaeum).

Anagrams

• kidnapers, rekidnaps

Source: Wiktionary

Spike"nard, n.Etym: [For spiked nard; cf. G. spieknarde, NL. spica nardi. See Spike an ear, and Nard.]

1. (Bot.)

Definition: An aromatic plant. In the United States it is the Aralia racemosa, often called spignet, and used as a medicine. The spikenard of the ancients is the Nardostachys Jatamansi, a native of the Himalayan region. From its blackish roots a perfume for the hair is still prepared in India.

2. A fragrant essential oil, as that from the Nardostachys Jatamansi.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition