cola nut

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A brownish bitter seed, of about the size of a chestnut, produced by a tree of western tropical Africa, Cola acuminata, natural order Sterculiaceœ. The tree has become naturalized in the West Indies and Brazil. The nuts are said to be used for purifying water, for quieting the cravings of hunger, and to increase the power of resisting fatigue from prolonged labor; they quickly counteract the effects of intoxication. They have been found to contain two or three times as much caffein as coffee itself, and some theobromine. Also called cola-seed and guru-nut.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. (Bot.) The bitter fruit of Cola acuminata, which is nearly as large as a chestnut, and furnishes a stimulant, which is used in medicine.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. bitter brown seed containing caffein; source of cola extract