zebra poison, n.

zebra-poison
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zebra-poison_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# † zebra poisonnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zebra poison mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zebra poison. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is now obsolete. It is only recorded in the 1870s.

### Where does the noun zebra poison come from?

Earliest known use

1870s

The only known use of the noun zebra poison is in the 1870s.

OED's earliest evidence for zebra poison is from 1871, in the writing of John Smith, botanist and horticulturist.

### Nearby entries

1. zebrafish, n. 1771–
2. zebraic, adj. 1858–
3. zebra marking, n. 1854–
4. zebra moray, n. 1933–
5. zebra mule, n. 1841–
6. zebra mussel, n. 1866–
7. zebrano, n. 1908–
8. zebra opossum, n. 1808–
9. zebra parakeet, n. 1856–
10. zebra plant, n. 1826–
11. zebra poison, n.1871–74
12. zebra print, n. & adj. 1932–
13. zebra rhomb, n. 1770–1844
14. zebra rock, n. 1895–
15. zebra rush, n. 1882–
16. zebra shark, n. 1804–
17. zebra skin, n. 1774–
18. zebra spider, n. 1806–
19. zebra suit, n. 1853–
20. zebra swallowtail, n. 1855–
21. zebra wolf, n. 1808–

## Meaning & use

Obsolete.

1. 1871–74
   Any of various South African tree spurges (genus Euphorbia) whose milky latex was formerly used by local hunters to poison waterholes used by wild mammals.
   1. 1871

      > Zebra Poison... Its milky juice is highly poisonous, whole herds of zebras having been killed by branches of it being placed in the water which they drank.

      J. Smith, Domestic Botany 257
   2. 1874

      > Zebra-poison. The South African Euphorbia arborea.

      J. Lindley & T. Moore, Treasury of Botany (revised edition) Supplement 1352/2
   plants
   1. aconitum?a1450–
      A preparation or extract of the root of an aconite (genus Aconitum), esp. A. napellus, used as a drug (now mainly in alternative forms of medicine)…
   2. aconite 1569–
      = aconitum, n. 1; (also figurative and poetic) deadly poison.
   3. cocculus indicus 1591–
      The commercial name of the dried berries of Anamirta (formerly Menispermium) Cocculus, a climbing plant found in Malabar and Sri Lanka; the berry is…
   4. female-bane 1601–
      A poisonous plant mentioned by ancient authors, perhaps a kind of aconite.
   5. timbo 1725–
      Any of various South American woody vines cultivated as a source of fish poison and the insecticide rotenone, esp. those of the genus Lonchocarpus…
   6. Suriname poison 1756–
      A tropical leguminous plant, Tophrosia toxicaria, or the poison derived from the leaves.
   7. ipoh 1779–
      The upas tree, Antiaris toxicaria, or a creeping shrub, Strychnos ignatii, both of which are native to SE. Asia and have a poisonous sap; also…
   8. upas 1783–
      The poison obtained from the upas-tree.
   9. tanghin 1788–
      A poison obtained from the kernels of Tanghinia venenifera, N.O. Apocynaceæ, a shrub of Madagascar, the fruit of which is a large purplish drupe…
   10. picrotoxin 1815–
       An intensely bitter polycyclic toxin, C30H34O13, obtained from the seeds of the shrub Anamirta cocculus and related plants of the family Menisperm…
   11. nicotine 1817–
       A toxic, colourless or yellowish, oily liquid alkaloid which is the chief active constituent of tobacco, acting as a stimulant in small doses…
   12. strychnine 1819–
       A highly poisonous vegetable alkaloid, C21H22N2O2, obtained chiefly from Strychnos Nux-vomica and other plants of the same genus. It is used in…
   13. vauqueline 1819
       Chemistry. Strychnine.
   14. brucia 1820–1905
       = brucine, n.
   15. brucine 1820–
       A bitter, moderately toxic alkaloid similar in structure and action to strychnine, and like strychnine found in nux vomica (Strychnos nux-vomica)…
   16. picrotoxia 1823–75
       = picrotoxin, n.
   17. strychnia 1823–
       = strychnine, n.
   18. digitalin 1824–
       Any of several substances or medicinal preparations extracted from the leaves or seeds of plants of the genus Digitalis; spec. (a) a standardized…
   19. dulcamara 1828–
       The perennial plant bittersweet or woody nightshade, Solanum dulcamara (now rare); an extract or medicinal preparation of this plant, typically…
   20. conine 1829–
       An alkaloid (C8H17N) which forms the poisonous principle of hemlock (Conium maculatum); it is an oily liquid, with a peculiar suffocating odour…
   21. bikh 1830–
       The poison of various species of Aconite, esp. Aconitum ferox; also the root or plant yielding it.
   22. nicotia 1830–92
       Chemistry. A substance present in extracts of tobacco, either nicotianin or (usually) nicotine.
   23. sassy wood 1835–
       The bark of a sasswood tree, or a decoction of this, used as an ordeal poison (now historical); (occasionally also) a sasswood tree, or the wood of…
   24. atropine 1836–
       A poisonous alkaloid found in the Deadly Nightshade and the seeds of the Thorn-apple.
   25. menispermia 1837
       = menispermine, n.
   26. nicotina 1838–75
       Chemistry. = nicotine, n. Obsolete.
   27. solanine 1838–
       A poisonous alkaloid, or a compound containing an alkaloid, found in various plants of the genus Solanum.
   28. strychnina 1838
       = strychnine, n.
   29. tanghicin 1838
   30. urari 1838–
       (See quots. 1859 at sense, 1866 at sense.)
   31. conia 1842–
       = conine, n.
   32. conicine 1842–
       = conine, n.
   33. amanitine 1847–
       The active narcotic principle of poisonous fungi.
   34. oenanthin 1848–
       A poisonous resinous substance obtained from the tubular water dropwort, Oenanthe fistulosa.
   35. menispermine 1849–
       A colourless crystalline alkaloid, C18H24N2O2, obtained from the fruit of cocculus indicus, Anamirta (formerly Menispermum) cocculus, and the…
   36. tetanine 1857
       An old name for strychnine. Obsolete.
   37. hyoscyamine 1858–
       An extremely poisonous alkaloid (C17H23NO3), obtained from the seeds of Hyoscyamus niger and some other Solanaceæ, isomerous with atropine; used…
   38. barbasco 1860–
       The popular name of a variety of South American plants, chiefly of the family Lonchocarpus, the roots of which yield a poison; hence, the poison…
   39. nicotylia 1862–73
       = nicotine, n.
   40. antiarin 1863–
       The poisonous principle of the Upas tree.
   41. xylostein 1864–
       A poisonous bitter substance found in the berries of the fly-honeysuckle, Lonicera Xylosteum.
   42. oleandrin 1866–
       A toxic cardiac glycoside, C32H48O9, with diuretic properties present in the leaves of the oleander.
   43. jatrophine 1867–
       A poison derived from J. manihot.
   44. zebra poison 1871–74
       Any of various South African tree spurges (genus Euphorbia) whose milky latex was formerly used by local hunters to poison waterholes used by wild…
   45. andromedotoxin 1883–
       A poisonous crystalline substance found in various ericaceous plants, esp. the genus Andromeda.
   46. abrin 1884–
       A highly poisonous glycoprotein present in the seeds (jequirity beans) of the jequirity or Indian liquorice, Abrus precatorius.
   47. ouabain 1888–
       A cardiac glycoside, C29H44O12, which is the active principle of the arrow poison ouabaio and is also found in the seeds of lianas of the related…
   48. strophanthus 1888–
       Botany. A genus of plants of the N.O. Apocynaceæ, native of tropical Africa and Asia, having strongly poisonous qualities; a plant of this genus.
   49. toxiresin 1890–
       Name of a poisonous substance obtained from digitalis by the action of acids.
   50. manchineel 1891–
       Poison obtained from the manchineel tree.
   51. tuba 1898–
       In the Malay archipelago, the Philippines, etc., the name of species of Derris from the roots of which an intoxicating juice is extracted; also…
   52. taxine 1907–
       A poisonous alkaloid found in these leaves (New Sydenham Soc. Lexicon 1899).
   53. phytotoxin 1909–
       A toxin derived from a plant.
   54. oenanthotoxin 1911–
       A toxic polyunsaturated alcohol found in the roots of hemlock water dropwort, Oenanthe crocata; 2,8,10-heptadecatriene-4,6-diyne-1,14-diol, C17H22O2.
   55. hypoglycin 1954–
       Either of two related toxins occurring naturally in the unripe fruit of the ackee, Blighia sapida, typically causing severe vomiting if ingested…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. physic nut 1657–
      A tropical American shrub, Jatropha curcas (family Euphorbiaceae), having large, roundish to heart-shaped, sometimes lobate leaves and a reddish…
   2. milk-bush 1696–
      Any of various shrubs or small trees of the southern hemisphere which have a milky sap and are often succulent; esp. (a) South African and Indian En…
   3. milk-tree 1698–
      Any of various trees yielding a milky sap, in some cases drinkable; esp. (a) = milk-bush, n. (a); (b) any of several tropical South American trees…
   4. poison-bush 1740–60
      A spurge (genus Euphorbia). Obsolete.
   5. jatropha 1754–
      Any of various shrubs, trees, and succulent plants now or formerly included in the genus Jatropha (family Euphorbiaceae); esp. (in early use) the…
   6. milky-hedge 1773–97
      = milk hedge, n.
   7. milk hedge 1780–1840
      A hedge of milk-bush (see milk-bush, n. (a)); cf. earlier milky-hedge, n.
   8. chandelier plant 1827–
      A species of Euphorbia.
   9. Jew bush 1830–
      A tropical American spurge, Euphorbia tithymaloides, previously used medicinally for its emetic properties and now cultivated as a garden plant…
   10. candelabrum 1834–
       Simple attributive. Also prefixed (in form candelabrum or candelabra) to the names of trees with foliage shaped like a candelabrum, esp. a tropical…
   11. poinsettia 1836–
       Any of various shrubby plants of the former genus Poinsettia (now included in Euphorbia), native to Central America and the southern United States…
   12. slipper-plant 1848–
       (See quot.).
   13. coquillo 1851–
       The Physic nut, Curcas purgans, a native of tropical America, the seeds of which yield an oil used as a purgative.
   14. stringwood 1866–
       A small tree of St. Helena, Acalypha rubra, now extinct, named from its pendent spikes of reddish sterile flowers (Treasury Bot. 1866).
   15. zebra poison 1871–74
       Any of various South African tree spurges (genus Euphorbia) whose milky latex was formerly used by local hunters to poison waterholes used by wild…
   16. oil tree 1879–
       Any of various trees and large shrubs having fruits or seeds that yield an oil; spec. †(a) an oleaster or olive tree (obsolete); (b) the castor oil…
   17. picture-tree 1885
       An arborescent plant of the genus Acalypha (family Euphorbiaceae) having markings on the leaves suggestive of pictures.
   18. slipper spurs 1886–
       = slipper-plant, n.
   19. monkey fiddle 1913–
       a. Caribbean any of several shrubs of the tropical American genus Pedilanthus (family Euphorbiaceae), esp. P. tithymaloides and P. bahamensis…
   20. milk plant 1965–
       Any of various plants yielding a milky juice, esp. (a) U.S. = milk pea, n.; (b) Australian any of various spurges, esp. Euphorbia drummondii.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for zebra, n.

zebra, n. was revised in June 2018.