bezoar

[ bee-zawr, -zohr ]

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

  2. Obsolete. a counterpoison or antidote.

Origin of bezoar

1
First recorded in 1470–80; earlier bezear, from Medieval Latin bezahar, from Arabic bā(di)zahr, from Persian pād-zahr “antidote, counterpoison,” from pād- “protector” + zahr “poison” (see also bane )

Words Nearby bezoar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bezoar in a sentence

  • bezoar stones are hard substances, of a dark color, and vary in size from a pea to a chestnut.

    The Manbos of Mindano | John M. Garvan

British Dictionary definitions for bezoar

bezoar

/ (ˈbiːzɔː) /


noun
  1. 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

Origin of bezoar

1
C15: from Old French bézoard, from Arabic bāzahr, from Persian bādzahr, from bād against + zahr poison

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012