1.
[syn: bryony, briony]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bryony \Bry"o*ny\ (br[imac]"[-o]*n[y^]), n. [L. bryonia, Gr.
brywni`a, fr. bry`ein to swell, esp. of plants.] (Bot.)
The common name of several cucurbitaceous plants of the genus
Bryonia. The root of Bryonia alba (rough bryony or
white bryony) and of Bryonia dioica is a strong,
irritating cathartic.
[1913 Webster]
Black bryony, a plant (Tamus communis) so named from its
dark glossy leaves and black root; black bindweed.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
bryony
n 1: a vine of the genus Bryonia having large leaves and small
flowers and yielding acrid juice with emetic and purgative
properties [syn: bryony, briony]