upas

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“
There is a tree that grows in the tropics which they call the upas tree.

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun A deciduous tree (Antiaris toxicaria) of tropical Africa and Asia that yields a latex used as an arrow poison.
  2. noun The poison obtained from this tree or from similar trees.

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Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • Chopin's moods are often morbid, his music often pathological; Beethoven too is morbid, but in his kingdom, so vast, so varied, the mood is lost or lightly felt, while in Chopin's province, it looms a maleficent upas-tree, with flowers of evil and its leaves glistering with sensuousness. —  Chopin: The Man and His Music
  • Do you see that grove of trees there at the base of the mountains I answered that I thought I could distinguish weirdly contorted branches and strangely shivering foliage That is the deadly upas-tree," he explained, "and it is as much as a man's life is worth to lie down in the shade of its twisted limbs. —  Tales of Fantasy and Fact
  • A fainéant in the English Ministry to-day is something worse than even a cumberer of the ground; he is, I dare to say, like a upas upon it, blighting where he throws his shadow, so conspicuous and so deadly must be the example of such a life in the Minister of such a Gospel. —  To My Younger Brethren Chapters on Pastoral Life and Work
  • Since the above was written I have seen the Dissertation sur les Effets d'un Poison de Java, appele Upas tieute, etc.; presentee a la Faculte de Medicine de Paris le 6 Juillet 1809, par M. Alire Raffeneau-Delile, in which he details a set of curious and interesting experiments on this very active poison, made with specimens brought from Java by M. Leschenault; and also a second dissertation, in manuscript (presented to the Royal Society), upon the effects of similar experiments made with what he terms the upas antiar. —  The History of Sumatra Containing An Account Of The Government, Laws, Customs And Manners Of The Native Inhabitants
  • The former he states to be a decoction or extract from the bark of the roots of a climbing plant of the genus strychnos, called tieute by the natives of Java; and the latter to be a milky, bitter, and yellowish juice, running from an incision in the bark of a large tree (new genus) called antiar; the word upas meaning, as M. Leschenault understands, vegetable poison of any kind. —  The History of Sumatra Containing An Account Of The Government, Laws, Customs And Manners Of The Native Inhabitants
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Malay (pohun) upas, poison (tree), of Javanese origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = French upas, from Malay (Java) upas, poison; in the Celebes and Philippine Islands ipo or hipo.
 

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/ˈjupəs/
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