jequirityn.
/dʒᵻˈkwɪrᵻti/, U.S. /dʒəˈkwɪrədi/ A woody twining shrub, Abrus precatorius or Indian liquorice, indigenous to India, but now found in most tropical countries, the parti-coloured seeds of which, called jequirity beans, are variously used for ornament, for weights, and in medicine. Also attributive.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > plants, nuts, seeds, or fruits used as beads or vessels > [noun] > jequirity plant or jumby bead
jumbie bead1764
jumble-bead1855
prayer bead1861
jequirity1882
1882 Nature 21 Dec. 192/1 Factitious purulent ophthalmia produced by the liquorice liana, or jequirity.
1887 C. A. Moloney Sketch Forestry W. Afr. 316 Crabs' Eyes, Jequerity, Prayer Beads, Jumble Beads... Recently these seeds have been brought into notice, under the name of ‘Jequerity’.
1897 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. II. 853 The serum of animals rendered immune to the toxic proteids of jequirity and castor-oil seeds.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1882