Zedoary
Zedoary , noun
[French zédoaire, Late Latin zedoaria; compare Italian zedoaria, zettovario, Portuguese zedoaria, Sp. zedoaria, cedoaria; all from Arabic & Per. zedw{not transcribed}r.]
(Medicine) A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste. It is used in medicine as a stimulant.
It is the rhizome of different species of Curcuma, esp. Curcuma zedoaria, and comes in short, firm pieces, externally of a wrinkled gray, ash-colored appearance, but within of a brownish red color. There are two kinds, round zedoary, and long zedoary.