tanghinn.

Brit.

/ˈtaŋɡɪn/, U.S.

/ˈtæŋɡən/

Forms: Also 1700s tanguin, 1800s tanquen, tangkin, tangena, tangina.

Etymology: < French tanghin, < Malagasy tangena, tangen'.

1. A poison obtained from the kernels of Tanghinia venenifera, N.O. Apocynaceæ, a shrub of Madagascar, the fruit of which is a large purplish drupe. Also attributive.The kernels were formerly used by indigenous Madagascans to test the guilt of a suspected person.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > poison > [noun] > poisons from plants

aconitum?a1450

aconite1569

cocculus indicus1591

female-bane1601

timbo1725

Suriname poison1756

ipoh1779

upas1783

tanghin1788

picrotoxin1815

nicotine1817

strychnine1819

vauqueline1819

brucia1820

brucine1820

picrotoxia1823

strychnia1823

digitalin1824

dulcamara1828

conine1829

bikh1830

nicotia1830

atropine1836

menispermia1837

nicotina1838

solanine1838

strychnina1838

tanghicin1838

urari1838

conia1842

conicine1842

amanitine1847

oenanthin1848

menispermine1849

tetanine1857

hyoscyamine1858

barbasco1860

nicotylia1862

antiarin1863

xylostein1864

oleandrin1866

zebra poison1871

andromedotoxin1883

abrin1884

ouabain1888

strophanthus1888

toxiresin1890

manchineel1891

tuba1898

taxine1907

phytotoxin1909

oenanthotoxin1911

hypoglycin1954

1788 F. Magnus tr. P. Sonnerat Voy. E. Indies III. 44 The tanguin is one of the most terrible poisons in the vegetable world.

1842 Penny Cycl. XXIV. 31/1 He..insisted that the Tanghin should be administered to himself.

1880 J. Sibree Great Afr. Island xiv. 282 The chief use of the tangena ordeal was for the detection of witchcraft, by which the African races understand the use of poisonous drugs for evil purposes.

2. The shrub itself: more properly tanˈgena or tanˈgina. Also attributive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > plants yielding poison > [noun] > trees or shrubs yielding poison > tanghin shrub or seed

poison-nut1794

tanghin1866

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 1123/1 Tanghin or Tanquen is the only plant belonging to a genus which botanists have named Tanghinia.

1880 J. Sibree Great Afr. Island xiv. 281 The tangena is a small and handsome tree growing in the warmer parts of the island, and the poison is procured from the nut of its fruit.

1889 A. Marion Tangena Tree xiii Horror-stricken, she flung the Tangena-fruit away.

Compounds

C1.

tanghin poison n.

ΚΠ

1842 Penny Cycl. XXIV. 31/1 This name [Tanghinia] was given by Aubert du Petit Thouars to the plant which produces the celebrated Tanghin poison of Madagascar.

1860 R. F. Burton Lake Regions Central Afr. II. 357 The Tangina poison of the Malagash.

C2.

† ˈtanghin camphor n. Obsolete = tanghinin n. at Derivatives.

ΚΠ

1868 H. Watts Dict. Chem. V. 658 The kernels..contain..a crystallisable substance called tanghin-camphor or tanghinin... Tanghinin is very poisonous.

Derivatives

† ˈtanghicin n. Obsolete

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