WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Sen"na
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [Cf. It. & Sp. sena, Pg. sene, F. s?n?; all fr. Ar. sana.]
Definition : 1. (Med.)

Defn: The leaves of several leguminous plants of the genus Cassia. (C. acutifolia. C. angustifolia, etc.). They constitute a valuable but nauseous cathartic medicine.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: The plants themselves, native to the East, but now cultivated largely in the south of Europe and in the West Indies. Bladder senna. (Bot.) See under Bladder. -- Wild senna (Bot.), the Cassia Marilandica, growing in the United States, the leaves of which are used medicinally, like those of the officinal senna.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913