Aloes

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæ.loʊz/

Definitions

1. The aromatic substance obtained from specific trees is frequently utilized in perfumery and herbal remedies
2. A group of succulent plants known for their thick, water-storing foliage and ability to thrive in arid environments
3. A fragrant, sticky extract from some tree species used in fragrances and traditional medicine ; succulent plants characterized by fleshy leaves designed to conserve water and adapted to dry habitats

Etymology: The plural "aloes" is the form of "aloe", and the spelling of "aloe" is the one that gives the game away: for centuries it was a traveller's word for a fragrant resin, not for the spiky plants on a windowsill. The resin came from an Asian tree, and the word's path into Old English runs through Latin and Greek. Its ultimate source, though, lies further east, in Old Tamil "akil", the name of a fragrant aromatic wood, which seems to have travelled with the trade in such goods. Hebrew and Aramaic forms of the word appear in the Bible, showing how far the trade had carried it before it reached Europe. The plant sense came much later. Botanists and travellers began applying the name to the succulent Aloe genus, whose resin was prized for medicinal uses, and the older resin meaning was gradually overtaken. Old French "aloes" also reinforced the English form in the Middle Ages, which is why the spelling looks as it does.

Synonyms: aloe vera