stinkblaar, noun

Plurals:
stinkblare/ˈstəŋkblɑːrə/.
Origin:
South African Dutch, DutchShow more South African Dutch, from Dutch stinken to stink + blaar leaf.
Any of several annual herb-like weeds of the genus Datura of the Solanaceae, including D. stramonium, D. metel, and D. ferox, of rank growth and foetid smell, bearing trumpet-shaped mauve flowers and thorny fruit containing highly poisonous seeds (see malpitte). Also attributive.
Note:
The source of the drug Stramonium.
1835 C.L. Stretch Journal.The same parties taking advantage of the Native Ignorance sold the Seed of the Stremoniacie or ‘Stink blaar’ for Coarse gun powder.
1881 Alice Times 14 Jan.When the children came indoors they both had a peculiar frightened expression, with bright scarlet faces, dilated pupils and great heat of skin...I found lying on the ground fragments of the capsules of the seed-vessel of the Stramonium, or Stink-blaar, as it is called.
1896 R. Wallace Farming Indust. of Cape Col. 117The stramonium just mentioned, ‘stink blaar’, Datura tatula, L., grows a large fruit capsule. If eaten freely it brings on paralysis in young ostriches...The juice of the leaf is used as a remedy for sore eyes in sheep.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 478Stink blaar, Datura stramonium, Linn. This plant has an exceedingly disagreeable smell.
1916 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 196Van Slaap: We’ll strike! Van K: We’ll put stinkblare in his office.
1925 L.D. Flemming Crop of Chaff 23I had systematically been killing a plant that was worth a small fortune. ‘Stinkblaar’ was a most valuable drug...Stinkblaar leaves, dried and bagged — were being asked for by all the leading druggists in the world, and paid for at so much per ounce.
1948 George & Knysna Herald 14 May 5Stinkblaar or Thorn Apple (also known as Malpitte) occurring in many parts of the country as a noxious weed, possesses dangerous poisonous properties.
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 51Some asthmatics claim they have found relief by smoking dried Stinkblaar (Datura Stramonium) leaves. This is a weed which must be treated with respect, however, for two seeds are enough to kill a child and three may finish an adult.
1966 C.A. Smith Common Names 438Stinkblaar,..Esteemed as a remedy for asthma and for this purpose the dried leaves are smoked in a pipe. The freshly warmed leaves or the vapours from an infusion are used as a sedative in cases of neuralgia, rheumatic or other pains and, in the form of poultices, are also applied to cancerous ulcers, and, rolled up into little pellets, are employed..to ease earache.
1976 E. Prov. Herald 8 Sept.The plant Datura stramonium, otherwise known as thorn-apple or jimsonweed (or stinkblaar) has large white or violet trumpet-shaped flowers which bloom at night, and a hard-spiked date-shaped fruit.
1988 P. Johnstone in Personality 25 July 32There stood a miniature forest of stinkblaar seedlings. ‘Darned poisonous,’ she said.
Any of several annual herb-like weeds of the genus Datura of the Solanaceae, including D. stramonium, D. metel, and D. ferox, of rank growth and foetid smell, bearing trumpet-shaped mauve flowers and thorny fruit containing highly poisonous seeds (see malpitte). Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18351988