bitter cucumber

3 definitions found

bitter cucumber - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Cucumber \Cu"cum*ber\ (k?`k?m-b?r, formerly kou"k?m-b?r), n.
     [OE. cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis,
     gen.cucumeris; cf. OF. cocombre,F. concombre.] (Bot.)
     A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the
     genus Cucumis, esp. Cucumis sativus, the unripe fruit of
     which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants
     or fruits of several other genera. See below.
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     Bitter cucumber (Bot.), the Citrullus Colocynthis syn.
        Cucumis Colocynthis. See Colocynth.
  
     Cucumber beetle. (Zool.)
     (a) A small, black flea-beetle (Crepidodera cucumeris),
         which destroys the leaves of cucumber, squash, and melon
         vines.
     (b) The squash beetle.
  
     Cucumber tree.
     (a) A large ornamental or shade tree of the genus Magnolia
         (Magnolia acuminata), so called from a slight
         resemblance of its young fruit to a small cucumber.
     (b) An East Indian plant (Averrhoa Bilimbi) which produces
         the fruit known as bilimbi.
  
     Jamaica cucumber, Jerusalem cucumber, the prickly-fruited
        gherkin (Cucumis Anguria).
  
     Snake cucumber, a species (Cucumis flexuosus) remarkable
        for its long, curiously-shaped fruit.
  
     Squirting cucumber, a plant (Ecbalium Elaterium) whose
        small oval fruit separates from the footstalk when ripe
        and expels its seeds and juice with considerable force
        through the opening thus made. See Elaterium.
  
     Star cucumber, a climbing weed (Sicyos angulatus) with
        prickly fruit.
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  Bitter \Bit"ter\, a. [AS. biter; akin to Goth. baitrs, Icel.
     bitr, Dan., Sw., D., & G. bitter, OS. bittar, fr. root of E.
     bite. See Bite, v. t.]
     1. Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of
        wormwood or an infusion of hops; as, a bitter medicine;
        bitter as aloes.
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     2. Causing pain or smart; piercing; painful; sharp; severe;
        as, a bitter cold day.
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     3. Causing, or fitted to cause, pain or distress to the mind;
        calamitous; poignant.
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              It is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast
              forsaken the Lord thy God.            --Jer. ii. 19.
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     4. Characterized by sharpness, severity, or cruelty; harsh;
        stern; virulent; as, bitter reproach.
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              Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against
              them.                                 --Col. iii.
                                                    19.
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     5. Mournful; sad; distressing; painful; pitiable.
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              The Egyptians . . . made their lives bitter with
              hard bondage.                         --Ex. i. 14.
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     Bitter apple, Bitter cucumber, Bitter gourd. (Bot.) See
        Colocynth.
  
     Bitter cress (Bot.), a plant of the genus Cardamine, esp.
        Cardamine amara.
  
     Bitter earth (Min.), tale earth; calcined magnesia.
  
     Bitter principles (Chem.), a class of substances, extracted
        from vegetable products, having strong bitter taste but
        with no sharply defined chemical characteristics.
  
     Bitter salt, Epsom salts; magnesium sulphate.
  
     Bitter vetch (Bot.), a name given to two European
        leguminous herbs, Vicia Orobus and Ervum Ervilia.
  
     To the bitter end, to the last extremity, however
        calamitous.
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     Syn: Acrid; sharp; harsh; pungent; stinging; cutting; severe;
          acrimonious.
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  Colocynth \Col"ocynth\, n. [L. colocynthis, Gr. ?. Cf.
     Coloquintida.] (Med.)
     The light spongy pulp of the fruit of the bitter cucumber
     (Citrullus colocynthis, or Cucumis colocynthis), an
     Asiatic plant allied to the watermelon; coloquintida. It
     comes in white balls, is intensely bitter, and a powerful
     cathartic. Called also bitter apple, bitter cucumber,
     bitter gourd.
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