sennan.

Brit.

/ˈsɛnə/, U.S.

/ˈsɛnə/

Forms: Also 1500s–1700s sena.

Etymology: < modern Latin senna, sena, < Arabic sanā ; compare sene n.⁴

a. Botany. A shrub of the genus Cassia, native in tropical regions, bearing yellow flowers and flat greenish pods. Cf. cassia n.¹American, Wild, or Maryland senna, Cassia marilandica.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > [noun] > cassia or senna

senna1543

sene1580

cassia1688

ringworm bush1756

1543 B. Traheron Interpr. Straunge Wordes in tr. J. de Vigo Most Excellent Wks. Chirurg. sig. &&.vi^v/2 Sena hath lytle braunches, and the leafe of fenugreke [etc.].

1601 R. Chester Loves Martyr 84 Mugwort, Sena and Tithimailes [etc.].

1782 J. Scott Poet. Wks. 261 In vain the senna waves its glossy gold.

1811 A. T. Thomson London Dispensatory ii. 86 The best senna, named in Nubia guebelly, grows wild, and yields two crops of leaves, the abundance of which depends on the periodical rains.

1859 W. Darlington & G. Thurber Amer. Weeds & Useful Plants 109 Maryland Cassia. Wild, or American Senna.

b. Applied with defining word to shrubs of other genera which have similar medicinal properties; as bladder senna n. Colutea arborescens, see bladder n. Compounds 2. Chile senna n. Myoschilos oblongus. scorpion senna n. Coronilla Emerus, see scorpion n. Compounds 3. wild senna n. Poinciana pulcherrima or Globularia Alypum, formerly †the genus Colutea.bastard senna: see the first element.

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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular medicinal plants or parts > medicinal trees or shrubs > [noun] > names applied to various medicinal trees or shrubs

wild senna1750

feverbush1778

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular medicinal plants or parts > medicinal trees or shrubs > [noun] > non-British medicinal trees or shrubs > other non-British medicinal trees or shrubs

snake-wood1598

velvet-leaf1707

macary bittera1726

majoa1726

ahuehuete1778

cucumber-tree1784

bilimbi1790

rohuna1829

chaulmoogra1832

juriballi1834

horse-cassia1864

yaw-weed1864

cundurango1871

Chile senna1874

cancer bush1888

quinine tree1905

kankerbos1913

hydnocarpus1928

1705 S. Dale Pharmacologiæ: Suppl. 318 Colutea... Bastard Sena.

1750 G. Hughes Nat. Hist. Barbados 204 The Wild Sena, or the Wild Cassia Fistula; Lat. Colutea.

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. at Senna Wild Senna, Poinciana pulcherrima; also an American name for Cassia marilandica.

1874 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. Suppl. Chili Senna, Myoschilos oblongus.

a. Pharmacology. The dried leaflets of various species of Cassia, used as a cathartic and emetic.

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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > cleansing or expelling medicines > [noun] > drastic purgative or emetic > plant-derived purgative or emetic

Euphorbiumc1400

euforbe1436

senna1571

bastard senna1597

ipecacuanha1682

yapona1712

Vandellia1797

ipecacuanha lozenge1847

ipecac1855

apomorphia1869

mocha senna1882

1571 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories N. Counties Eng. (1835) I. 363 ¹/ ₂ a lb ¹/ ₂ a qⁿ of sen'a xx^d.

1604 Rates Marchandizes sig. D1^v Druggs... Sena the pound xviii.d.

1794 W. Godwin Caleb Williams I. iv. 78 I shall hate you as bad as senna and valerian.

1830 J. Lindley Introd. Nat. Syst. Bot. 91 The Senna of the shops consists, according to M. Delile, of Cassia acutifolia, Cassia Senna, and Cynanchum Argel.

1880 J. W. Legg On Bile 172 Senna was found by Röhrig to have an active effect on the secretion of bile.

b. The many varieties of the drug are commercially distinguished by defining words (now often used loosely), as Alexandrian senna, Aleppo senna, Arabian senna, Indian senna, Tinnevelly, etc., senna.

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1693 S. Dale Pharmacologia 502 Senna Alexandrina Offic... Alexandrian Sena.

1693 tr. S. Blankaart Physical Dict. (ed. 2) 185 Senna, Alexandrine, Ægyptian Syriac.

a1836 Encycl. Metrop. (1845) VII. 508/1 The Tinnevelly Senna consists of the leaflets of Cassia Elongata.

1861 R. Bentley Man. Bot. ii. iii. 527 Bladder-Senna.—The leaflets..have been used on the continent to adulterate Alexandrian Senna.

Compounds

C1. General attributive.

senna leaf n.

ΚΠ

1699 S. Garth Dispensary v. 59 A Folliage of dissembl'd Senna Leaves, Grav'd round its Brim.

senna leaflet n.

ΚΠ

1861 R. Bentley Man. Bot. ii. iii. 527 They may be readily distinguished from Senna leaflets by..being equal-sided at the base.

senna shrub n.

ΚΠ

1766 W. Stork Acct. E.-Florida 48 The vines, the senna shrub, sarsaparilla, China-root,..are indigenous plants of East-Florida.

C2.

senna-draught n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > cleansing or expelling medicines > [noun] > purgative > plant-derived

scammonyc1000

lign-aloesc1374

hiera picra1379

rhubarbc1390

aloea1398

cassia fistulaa1398

coloquintidaa1398

senec1400

turpethc1400

coloquintc1420

diagrydium1436

lignum aloes1525

rhabarbarum1533

xylaloes1540

manna1541

scilla1548

hyera?1550

emblic1555

diasenna1562

colocynth1565

tragonce1575

pinyon1577

mechoacan1587

lignum aquilae1600

gamboge1615

dragon-root1621

helleborism1621

diaprune1625

alhandal1630

makinboy1652

luskard1653

diagrydiate1657

physic nut1657

aloetic1661

scammoniate1665

jalap1675

aloedary1683

coloquinto1683

Briançon manna1688

liquorice powder1712

coloquintid1732

castor oil1746

senna-tea1752

higry pigry1773

Turkey rhubarb1789

argel1803

hickery-pickery1816

cathartin1823

aloin1828

croton oil1829

jalapin1832

syrmaea1833

bryonin1836

gambogic acid1837

Podophyllum1844

podophyllin1851

geropiga1852

hicra picra1857

Montpellier turpeth1860

picra1860

tallicoona oil1866

scammonin1868

pharbitisin1873

cascara sagrada1879

senna-draught1879

tambor-oil1890

syrup of figs1897

pharbitin1899

1879 St. George's Hosp. Rep. 9 190 A dose of calomel..followed by a senna draught in the morning.

senna-tea n. an infusion of the drug taken as a purgative.

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