bezoar

[ bee-zawr, -zohr ]
/ ˈbi zɔr, -zoʊr /

noun

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, especially ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Obsolete. a counterpoison or antidote.

Origin of bezoar

1470–80; earlier bezear < Medieval Latin bezahar < Arabic bā(di)zahr < Persian pād-zahr counterpoison; -o- < New Latin

Words nearby bezoar

Example sentences from the Web for bezoar

British Dictionary definitions for bezoar

bezoar
/ (ˈbiːzɔː) /

noun

a hard mass, such as a stone or hairball, in the stomach and intestines of animals, esp ruminants, and man: formerly thought to be an antidote to poisons

Word Origin for bezoar

C15: from Old French bézoard, from Arabic bāzahr, from Persian bādzahr, from bād against + zahr poison

Medical definitions for bezoar

bezoar
[ bēzôr′ ]

n.

A hard indigestible mass of material, such as hair, vegetable fibers, or the seeds and skins of fruits, formed in the alimentary canal.