Bezoar

Pronunciation

• GenAm enPR: bēʹzōr, IPA: /ˈbizɔɹ/, /ˈbizoɹ/
• RP IPA: /ˈbiːzɔː/, /ˈbÉ›zəʊɑː/
• Hyphenation: be + zoar

Origin

From Arabic بَازَهْر, from Middle Persian pʾtzhl (pādzahr, "bezoar, antidote"). In ancient times, bezoars from animals were ground up and ingested as remedies for various maladies and as antidotes to poisons.

Full definition of bezoar

Noun

1. A mass, usually of hair or undigested vegetable matter, found in an animal's intestines; a hairball.
2. An enterolith.

Derived terms

• bezoardic
• bezoar antelope
• bezoar goat
• bezoar mineral
• phytobezoar
• trichobezoar
• pseudobezoar