| 释义 |
upas
\ˈyüpəs\ noun
(-es)
Etymology: Malay (pohon) upas, from pohon tree + upas poison, from Javanese
1.
a. or upas tree : a very large evergreen tree (Antiaris toxicaria) formerly believed to be so poisonous as to destroy any living thing in its vicinity that grows in lowland areas of southeastern Asia and eastward to the Philippines, that is closely related to the breadfruits, that yields a latex containing poisonous glucosides which act on the heart and are used in arrow and dart poisons, and that has an inner bark which is a locally important source of bark cloth
b. : any of various poisonous plants of the genus Strychnos that are used with or similarly to the upas in arrow poisons; especially : a Javanese vine (S. tieute)
2. : a poisonous mixture that usually contains the juice or latex of a upas, is commonly boiled down to a thick tarry consistency, and is used especially on arrows or darts
3. : a poisonous or harmful influence or institution
< the upas of contemporary public life — W.R.Thayer > |