colocynth

English

colocynth

Alternative forms

• colocynthis

Etymology

From Latin colocynthis, from Ancient Greek κολοκυνθίς (kolokunthís), ultimately Pre-Greek.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kɒl.əˈsɪnθ/

Noun

colocynth (countable and uncountable, plural colocynths)

1. A viny plant, Citrullus colocynthis, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. It produces a lemon-sized, yellowish, green-mottled, spongy, and extremely bitter fruit.
2. The powdered pulp of this fruit, a powerful hepatic stimulant and hydragogue cathartic used as a strong laxative.

Synonyms

• (Citrullus colocynthis): bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, vine of Sodom, desert gourd

Translations

plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis

• Arabic: حَنْظَل m (ḥanẓal), عَلْقَم m (ʕalqam)
• Catalan: coloquinta
• Czech: kolokvinta obecná f
• Finnish: kolokvintti (fi)
• French: coloquinte (fr) f
• German: Koloquinte f, Pomaquinte f, Purgiergurke f, Bitterapfel m, Echte Zitrulle f, Teufelsapfel m, Koloquintenkürbis m
• Hebrew: אֲבַטִּיחַ הַפַּקּוּעָה m (ʾaḇaṭíaḥ ha-paqqūʿā)
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: تاڵکە (tallke), گوژاڵک (gujallk)

• Ottoman Turkish: آجی الما (acı elma)
• Persian: کبست (fa) (kabast)
• Polish: kolokwinta f
• Portuguese: colocíntida (pt) f
• Punjabi: ਤੁੰਮਾ m (tummā), ਕੌੜਤੁੰਮਾ m (kauṛtummā)
• Russian: колоци́нт (ru) m (kolocínt), колокви́нт (ru) m (kolokvínt)
• Sanskrit: त्रपुस (sa) (trapusa), तारक (sa) (tāraka)
• Spanish: coloquíntida f, tuera f
• Swedish: kolokvint c
• Turkish: acı elma (tr), ebücehil karpuzu, acıhıyar, acıkavun, it hıyarı (tr)
• Ukrainian: колоци́нт m (kolocýnt), колокви́нт m (kolokvýnt)
• Volapük: (plant) kolozünt, (fruit) kolozüntafluk

Further reading

• colocynth on Wikipedia.Wikipedia