aloe

[In Sw. aloeört, Dan., Dut., Ger., Sp., and Ital. aloe; Port. aloe, aloes; Fr. aloes; Lat. aloe, Gr. ἀλόη ( aloe ). Not the same as the aghil of some Hindoo languages.] [See AGALLOCH, AGILA.] A. Ordinary Language: 1. Any species of the genus described under B, or even of one, such as Agave, with a close analogy to it. The American aloe is the Agave Ameri can a , an Amaryllid. 2. The aloe of Scripture, which is probably the agallochum. Royle believes that the reason why the aloe proper and the agallochum became confounded was that alloch , alloet , or allich , the Arabic name of the latter, closely resembled elwa , the appellation given to the former in various Hindoo tongues. [See AGALLOCH.] B. Technically : Bot. A genus of plants belonging to the order Liliaceæ, or Lily-worts, and constituting the typical genus of the section called Aloinæ. The species are succulent herbs, shrubs, or even trees, with erect spikes or clusters of flowers. They are used in the West Indies for hedges; the juice is purgative, and the fibres are made into cordage or coarse cloth.