Forms: 5–6 zeduarye, -ie, 6 zedwary, 6–7 zedoarie, 6– zedoary. [ad. med.L. zedoārium, -ia (also zedu-), ad. Arab. zedwār: cf. OF. zedouar, zedoar, mod.F. zédoaire, Prov. zeduari, Sp., It. zedoaria, Pg. zeduaria, It. zettovario, OHG. MHG. zitwar (G. zitwer). See also SETWALL.] The aromatic tuberous root of one or more species of Curcuma (N. O. Zingiberaceæ), of the East Indies and neighboring countries, sold in two forms, long zedoary and round zedoary, and used as a drug, having properties resembling those of ginger; also the plant itself. Yellow Zedoary = CASSUMUNAR.
c. 1475. Nominale, in Wr.-Wülcker, 714/11. Hoc zeduarium, zeduarye.
c. 1550. Lloyd, Treas. Health, I vj. Zedwary, chawed … and swallowed … taketh awaye the grefe of the bely.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., III. 103. Zedoary is most powerfull against vitreous Phlegm.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 332. Zedoary, round, Kæmpferia, Zedoary, long, Amomum.
1773. W. Lewis, C. Neumann’s Chem., Wks. (ed. 2), II. 201. Zedoary is the root of a plant said to be of the Ginger kind, growing in different parts of the East Indies, and brought to us chiefly from Bengal.
1858. Hogg, Veg. Kingd., 784. From the roots of Zingiber casumunar, the article known in commerce as Casumunar, or Yellow Zedoary, is obtained…. Long Zedoary is the root of Curcuma zerumbet, a native of the East Indies…. Round Zedoary is furnished by C. zedoaria.
1880. C. R. Markham, Peruv. Bark, 347. The undergrowth … consists of cardamom, wild ginger, zedoary, rattan, a small bamboo,… and a few ferns.
attrib. 1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, I. i. 40. Take … Zedoary Root 10 Grains.
1866. Treas. Bot., s.v. Curcuma, C. aromatica and C. Zedoaria furnish Zedoary tubers,… used by the natives of India as aromatic tonics, and as a perfume.
