Bushman’s poison, noun phrase
- Origin:
- EnglishShow more Bushman + English possessive ’s + English poison.
In full Bushman’s poison bush: any of several species of the toxic plant Acokanthera of the Apocynaceae, formerly used by the San peoples in making poison for their arrows; Hottentot’s poison bush, see Hottentot noun sense 6 a. See also gifboom sense b.
[1885 A. Smith Contrib. to S. Afr. Materia Medica 40The Bushmen take the wood of the plant and pound it to a rough powder, which they put into a clay pot and boil for some time, keeping the lid on as the fumes are noxious,..till it is reduced to a cupful of a glutinous fluid...The poison is ready. It is a brownish substance such as you see in a bee-hive.]
1988 J. Munday Poisonous Plants in S. Afr. Gardens & Parks 22Bushman’s poison,..Poison tree, Winter sweet. Several species of this genus are indigenous to South Africa and one or two are cultivated.
In full Bushman’s poison bush:any of several species of the toxic plant Acokanthera of the Apocynaceae, formerly used by the San peoples in making poison for their arrows; Hottentot’s poison bush, see Hottentot noun sense 6 a.
Visualise Quotations
Quotation summarySenses
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English.