| 释义 |
▪ I. narra1 S. Afr.|ˈnærə|
Also nara(s).
[ad. Hottentot 'narab.]
A spiny shrub, Acanthosicyos horrida, of the family Cucurbitaceæ, found in arid regions of south-western Africa, distinguished by thorns, which replace the leaves of young plants, and yellow flowers; also, the large globular fruit of this plant. Also attrib.
1838J. E. Alexander Expedition Interior Afr. II. iii. 68 The 'naras was growing on little knolls of sand; the bushes were about four or five feet high, without leaves, and with apposite thorns on the light and dark green striped branches. 1853F. Galton Narr. Explorer Trop. S. Afr. i. 21, I have mentioned above the 'Nara, a prickly gourd, which..is the staple food of these Hottentots. 1881T. Hahn Tsuni-‖ Goam 101 !Naras.—This fruit is a Cucurbitacea, almost as large as a new-born child's head. The flesh of it is eaten raw, and the seeds are kept for the dry season, when there is no fruit. The seeds taste almost like almonds. 1946L. G. Green So Few are Free (1948) xii. 165 The narra, a member of the melon family..sends its roots down through the dunes for fifty feet, if necessary, to find moisture... The ripe narra is full of edible seeds, which are treated in many ways by the Hottentots. Boiled, they make a porridge. Tough pancakes are formed by the narra fluid and stored for months. Narra beer may be brewed from the syrupy juice. 1959G. Jenkins Twist of Sand xiii. 267 The trails of naras creeper would provide some sort of fuel. 1973Stand. Encycl. S. Afr. VIII. 40/2 Naras (properly: narra)... Spiny, much-branched, prostrate shrub of the family Cucurbitaceae, found growing on sand-dunes in the dry coastal strip of South-West Africa.
▪ II. narra2|ˈnɑːrə|
[Tagalog.]
The Filipino name for the south-east Asian tree, Pterocarpus indicus, of the family Leguminosæ, or its timber; = amboyna. Also attrib.
1859J. Bowring Visit to Philippine Islands xv. 270 (table) Narra, or Naga, or Asang... Buildings, furniture, doors and windows. 1890J. Foreman Philippine Islands xix. 371 Narra..gives logs up to 35 feet long by 26 inches square. It is the Mahogany of the Philippines. 1911Philippine Bureau of Forestry Bull. No. 10. 11. 35 The members of the Narra family mentioned here have simply or doubly compound leaves. Ibid., Narra is found throughout the Philippines. Ibid. 36 Narra is the most common commercial name for the wood in the Philippines. 1929Amer. Speech IV. 284 Of the native [Filipino] words, a few have already been accepted...narra and camagon, hard woods used in fine cabinet work. 1947J. C. Rich Materials & Methods Sculpture x. 292 Narra is a Philippine wood related to the Andaman Islands' Padouk. It has a yellow to reddish-brown color and is not always available commercially. 1971F. H. Titmuss Commercial Timbers of World (ed. 4) 48 This [sc. amboyna, Pterocarpus indicus] is one of the most important export species of the Philippines (the wood being known as narra on the North American market).
▪ III. narra
dial. variant of ne'er a. |