Thursday 13: Thirteen Herbalism Terms Defined

In the study of herbalism, I come across a number of terms that are both interesting and mystifying, since they're not things we use in everyday conversation. I thought I'd share 13 with you - out of a list of quite a bit more than that! o.O... Never knew whatcha didn't know, huh? Me neither.

So. Here we go:

1. Abortifacient: A drug or other agent that induces the expulsion of a fetus.

2. Alterative: An agent that produces gradual beneficial change in the body, usually by improving nutrition, without having any marked specific effect and without causing sensible evacuation.

3. Analgesic: A drug that relieves or diminishes pain.

4. Anaphrodesiac: An agent that reduces sexual desire or potency.

5. Anesthetic: An agent that deadens sensation.

6. Anthelmintic: An agent that destroys or expels intestinal worms; vermicide; vermifuge.

7. Anthocyanins: Any of a class of soluble glycoside pigments that are responsible for most of the blue to red colors in leaves, flowers, and other plant parts.

Bonus: Glycoside: Noun: A compound formed from a simple sugar and another compound by replacement of a hydroxyl group in the sugar molecule.

8. Antibiotic: An agent that destroys or arrest the growth of micro-organisms.

9. Anticoagulant: An agent that prevents clotting in a liquid, as in blood.

10. Antiemetic: An agent that counteracts nausea and relieves vomiting.

11. Antihydrotic: An agent that reduces or suppresses perspiration.

12. Antiperiodic: An agent that counteracts periodic or intermittent diseases (such as malaria).

13. Antipyretic: An agent that prevents or reduces fever.

Source: Jeanne Rose,The Medicinal Herbal, Aromatherapy and Herbal Studies Course, 2001, page 102

The Seduction of Words

Let's face it:  words are sexy!  Come visit me on Silken Sheets and Seduction and tell me YOUR favorite words!

Around the Blogosphere - Come Along!

Thank you to bestselling author Delilah Devlin, for graciously offering Rachel and me a guest post today.  I wrote about NaNoWriMo (of course!) and give some details about what all the madness entails.  Stop by today, and comment please!  (That way, it will look like I have friends - grin!)

Should You NaNo?

Join me today at the Writer's Retreat Blog, where I answer the question of whether or not to NaNo!

And the Craziness Begins!

NaNoWriMo officially begins today!  Have you signed up?  If so, I'm a.catherine.noon on the NaNoSite, so please come friend me.

What is NaNo, you ask?  It's that craziness that is November!  Every year in November, National Novel Writing Month encourages thousands of people to write, and many of them complete the 50,000 goal - and more! - and come away with completed novel drafts.  It's great fun!

Check it out, and the NaNoWriMo site!