chaulmoogra

noun

chaul·​moo·​gra chȯl-ˈmü-grə How to pronounce chaulmoogra (audio)
: any of several Asian trees (genus Hydnocarpus of the family Achariaceae) that yield an acrid oil used especially formerly in treating leprosy and skin diseases

Examples of chaulmoogra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Western doctors struggled to use chaulmoogra effectively: Too often, oral doses caused nausea, while injections resulted in painful skin abscesses. Kathleen M. Wong, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Mar. 2022 Gifted by King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand) in recognition of Ball’s trailblazing research, the chaulmoogra tree has stood on U.H. Mānoa’s campus since 1935. Kathleen M. Wong, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Mar. 2022 Known as a chaulmoogra, the tree was planted in 1935 in honor of Ball’s groundbreaking research on Hansen’s disease, or leprosy. Kathleen M. Wong, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Bengali cālmugrā

First Known Use

circa 1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chaulmoogra was circa 1815

Dictionary Entries Near chaulmoogra

Cite this Entry

“Chaulmoogra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaulmoogra. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

chaulmoogra

noun
chaul·​moo·​gra chȯl-ˈmü-grə How to pronounce chaulmoogra (audio)
: any of several East Indian trees (family Flacourtiaceae) that yield chaulmoogra oil
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