Calabar Bean (Noun)
Meaning
Dark brown highly poisonous seed of the calabar-bean vine; source of physostigmine and used in native witchcraft.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The calabar bean, native to tropical Africa, is notorious for its toxicity and traditional use in witchcraft.
- Historically, the seeds of the calabar bean vine were crushed to extract the toxic alkaloids for medicinal and magical purposes.
- Calabar bean is used by certain native populations for rituals that test a person's guilt or innocence, and ingestion often proves fatal.
- Scientists were interested in studying the properties of the calabar bean for developing physostigmine-based medications to treat certain conditions.
- Warning signs around calabar bean plantations emphasize the toxicity of its dark brown seeds and potential consequences of mishandling.