kola nut

kola nut
a brownish seed, about the size of a chestnut, produced by a tropical tree belonging to the genus Cola, containing both caffeine and theobromine: its extract is used in soft drinks.
[1865-70]

* * *

or cola nut

Caffeine-containing nut of two evergreen trees (Cola acuminata and C. nitida) of the cocoa family (Sterculiaceae), native to tropical Africa and cultivated extensively in the New World tropics.

The trees grow to 60 ft (18.3 m) in height and have oblong leathery leaves, yellow flowers, and star-shaped fruit. The nut has been used in medicines and in soft drinks, though American "colas" today instead use synthetic flavorings that mimic its taste. Kola nuts are also used where grown as a medium of exchange or are chewed to diminish sensations of hunger and fatigue, to aid digestion, and to combat intoxication, hangover, and diarrhea.

Kola nut (Cola nitida)

W.H. Hodge

* * *

plant
 caffeine-containing nut of Cola acuminata and Cola nitida, trees of the cocoa family (Sterculiaceae) native to tropical Africa and cultivated extensively in the American tropics. The evergreen tree grows to 18.3 m (60 feet) and resembles the chestnut. The 5-centimetre- (2-inch-) long brown nut is hand collected and dried in the sun for commercial use, mainly as an ingredient of soft drinks (soft drink) and medicine. American and European soft-drink manufacturers, however, do not use the kola nut; instead, they manufacture synthetic chemicals that resemble the flavour of the kola nut.

      Kola nuts are used locally as a medium of exchange. They are also commonly chewed by local labourers as a stimulant to diminish sensations of hunger and fatigue. Small pieces of kola nut chewed before meals act as an aid to digestion. In Brazil and the West Indies, the astringent-tasting nuts are used as a botanical drug to combat intoxication, hangover, and diarrhea.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kola nut — pods and seeds Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked) …   Wikipedia

  • Kola nut — Kola Ko la, Kola nut Kola nut . Same as {Cola}, {Cola nut}. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • kola nut — n. the seed of the cola …   English World dictionary

  • kola nut — noun 1. tree bearing large brown nuts containing e.g. caffeine; source of cola extract • Syn: ↑kola, ↑kola nut tree, ↑goora nut, ↑Cola acuminata • Hypernyms: ↑nut tree • Member Holonyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • kola nut — also cola nut noun Etymology: kola, perhaps modification of Malinke kolo kola nut Date: 1868 the bitter caffeine containing chestnut sized seed of a kola tree used especially as a masticatory and in beverages …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • kola nut tree — noun tree bearing large brown nuts containing e.g. caffeine; source of cola extract • Syn: ↑kola, ↑kola nut, ↑goora nut, ↑Cola acuminata • Hypernyms: ↑nut tree • Member Holonyms: ↑Cola, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • kola nut — ko·la nut also co·la nut kō lə n the bitter caffeine containing chestnut sized seed of a kola tree used esp. as a masticatory and in beverages …   Medical dictionary

  • kola nut — ko′la nut n. pln the large brown seed of the kola tree: its extract is used in soft drinks • Etymology: 1865–70 …   From formal English to slang

  • kola nut — /ˈkoʊlə nʌt/ (say kohluh nut) noun → cola nut …  

  • Kola — Ko la, Kola nut Kola nut . Same as {Cola}, {Cola nut}. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”