turbith

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noun

A type of purgative drug made from the root of a type of morning glory plant (Operculina turpethum); or the plant itself.

OriginOld French turbit ← Medieval Latin turbithum ← Arabic تُرْبِد →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounturbith (uncountable)

alternative turpeth

  1. uncountableA type of purgative drug made from the root of a type of morning glory plant (Operculina turpethum); or the plant itself.

    […] turbith, agarick, mirabolanes, hermodactils from the East Indies, tobacco from the West […]

    1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 4, member 1, subsection 2

Origin

  1. Arabicتُرْبِد
  2. Medieval Latinturbithum
  3. Old Frenchturbit
  4. Englishturbith

From Old French turbit or its source, Medieval Latin turbithum, from Arabic تُرْبِد (turbid).

More words from Old French, Medieval Latin, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

turbith. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turbith

MLA

“turbith.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turbith. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turbith,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turbith.

Source: turbith on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.