NUC 



283 



NYM 



are said to be astringent, and the 

 seeds contain a good deal of 

 starch. 



nutation, n., nut- a' shun (L. 

 nutdtio, a nodding ; niitans, a 

 nodding or wagging the head), a 

 constant and involuntary move- 

 ment of the head in one or more 

 directions ; in bot., the curvature 

 in an organ of a plant, produced 

 by the unequal growth of different 

 sides. 



nutrition, n., nut-risk'-un (L. 

 nutrio, I nurse or nourish), that 

 function or process in a living 

 body by which matter or food, 

 already elaborated 'by organic 

 actions, is converted into their 

 different tissues, thus repairing 

 waste and promoting growth. 



nux vomica, nuks vom'ik'd, (L. 

 nux, all fruits that have a hard 

 shell ; vomzcus, pert, to vomiting 

 -from vomo, I vomit), the nuts 

 or fruit of the Strychnos nux- 

 vomica, Ord. Loganiacese, which 

 contains the alkaloids strychnia 

 and brucia, and is a violent 

 poison ; a medicinal preparation 

 made from it and highly 

 poisonous. 



Nyctaginacese, n. plu., wttc'-t&dj* 

 m-a'sfre (Gr. nux, night, nuktos, 

 of night ; ago, I do, I act), a 

 small Order of plants containing 

 the -* Mirabilis ' or Marvel of 

 Peru, a very showy plant whose 

 flowers are very fragrant in the 

 evening ; nearly all the plants 

 of the Order have purgative 

 qualities. 



Nyctanthes, n., rt&'titnth'-Sz (Gr. 

 nux, night, nuktos, of night ; 

 antJios, a flower), a genus of 

 plants, Ord. Jasminacese : Nyc- 

 tanthes arbor-tristis, drb'tfr-trfotf 

 is (L. arbor, a tree ; tristis, sad), 

 a tree valued on account of its 

 fragrant flowers which expand at 

 night, and fall off at the break of 

 day. 



nymphsB, n. plu., nimf'e (Gr. 

 numphe, L. nympha, a bride, a 



