Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Licorice \Lic"o*rice\ (l[i^]k"[-o]*r[i^]s), n. [OE. licoris,
through old French, fr. L. liquiritia, corrupted fr.
glycyrrhiza, Gr. glyky`rriza; glyky`s sweet + "ri`za root.
Cf. {Glycerin}, {Glycyrrhiza}, {Wort}.] [Written also
{liquorice}.]
1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Glycyrrhiza} ({G. glabra}),
the root of which abounds with a sweet juice, and is much
used in demulcent compositions.
2. The inspissated juice of licorice root, used as a
confection and for medicinal purposes.
{Licorice fern} (Bot.), a name of several kinds of polypody
which have rootstocks of a sweetish flavor.
{Licorice sugar}. (Chem.) See {Glycyrrhizin}.
{Licorice weed} (Bot.), the tropical plant {Scapania dulcis}.
{Mountain licorice} (Bot.), a kind of clover ({Trifolium
alpinum}), found in the Alps. It has large purplish
flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock.
{Wild licorice}. (Bot.)
(a) The North American perennial herb {Glycyrrhiza
lepidota}.
(b) Certain broad-leaved cleavers ({Galium circ[ae]zans}
and {G. lanceolatum}).
(c) The leguminous climber {Abrus precatorius}, whose
scarlet and black seeds are called {black-eyed
Susans}. Its roots are used as a substitute for those
of true licorice ({Glycyrrhiza glabra}).
Vetch \Vetch\, n. [Also fitch; OE. ficche, feche, for veche, OF.
veche, vecce, vesche, vesce, F. vesce, fr. L. vicia.] (Bot.)
Any leguminous plant of the genus {Vicia}, some species of
which are valuable for fodder. The common species is {V.
sativa}.
Note: The name is also applied to many other leguminous
plants of different genera; as the chichling vetch, of
the genus {Lathyrus}; the horse vetch, of the genus
{Hippocrepis}; the kidney vetch ({Anthyllis
vulneraria}); the milk vetch, of the genus
{Astragalus}; the licorice vetch, or wild licorice
({Abrus precatorius}).
Jequirity \Je*quir"i*ty\, n., or Jequirity bean \Je*quir"i*ty
bean`\ [Prob. fr. a native name.] (Bot.)
The seed of the wild licorice ({Abrus precatorius}) used by
the people of India for beads in rosaries and necklaces, as a
standard weight, etc.; -- called also {jumble bead}.