calabar bean

2 definitions found

calabar bean - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Calabar \Cal"a*bar\, n.
     A district on the west coast of Africa.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Calabar bean, The of a climbing legumious plant
        (Physostigma venenosum), a native of tropical Africa. It
        is highly poisonous. It is used to produce contraction of
        the pupil of the eye; also in tetanus, neuralgia, and
        rheumatic diseases; -- called also ordeal bean, being
        used by the negroes in trials for witchcraft.
        [1913 Webster]

calabar bean - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  calabar bean
      n 1: dark brown highly poisonous seed of the calabar-bean vine;
           source of physostigmine and used in native witchcraft [syn:
           calabar bean, ordeal bean]