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Webster 1913 Edition


Juniper

Ju′ni-per

,
Noun.
[L.
juniperus
, prop., youth-producing, and so called from its evergreen appearance, from the roots of E.
juvenile
, and
parent
.
Cf
.
Gin
the liquor.]
(Bot.)
Any evergreen shrub or tree, of the genus
Juniperus
and order
Coniferæ
.
☞ The common juniper (
Juniperus communis
) is a shrub of a low, spreading form, having awl-shaped, rigid leaves in whorls of threes, and bearing small purplish blue berries (or galbuli), of a warm, pungent taste, used as diuretic and in flavoring gin. A resin exudes from the bark, which has erroneously been considered identical with sandarach, and is used as pounce. The oil of juniper is acrid, and used for various purposes, as in medicine, for making varnish, etc. The wood of several species is of a reddish color, hard and durable, and is used in cabinetwork under the names of
red cedar
,
Bermuda cedar
, etc.
Juniper worm
(Zool.)
,
the larva of a geometrid moth (
Drepanodes varus
). It feeds upon the leaves of the juniper, and mimics the small twigs both in form and color, in a remarkable manner.

Webster 1828 Edition


Juniper

JU'NIPER

,
Noun.
[L. juniperus.] A tree or shrub bearing berries of a bluish color, of a warm, pungent, sweet taste, yielding when fresh, by expression, a rich, sweet, aromatic juice. They are useful carminatives and stomachics. The wood of the tree is of a reddish color, hard and durable, and is used in cabinet work and veneering. The oil of juniper mixed with that of nuts makes an excellent varnish; and the resin powdered is used under the name of pounce.