Category:Almond

Alm"ond, n. Etym: [OE. almande, almaunde, alemaunde, F. amande, L. amygdala, fr. Gr. almendra. Cf. Amygdalate.]

1. The fruit of the almond tree.

Note: The different kinds, as bitter, sweet, thin-shelled, thick- shelled almonds, and Jordan almonds, are the products of different varieties of the one species, Amygdalus communis, a native of the Mediterranean region and western Asia.

2. The tree bears the fruit; almond tree.

3. Anything shaped like an almond. Specifically: (Anat.)

Defn: One of the tonsils. Almond oil, fixed oil expressed from sweet or bitter almonds.

-- Oil of bitter almonds, a poisonous volatile oil obtained from bitter almonds by maceration and distillation; benzoic aldehyde.

-- Imitation oil of bitter almonds, nitrobenzene.

-- Almond tree (Bot.), the tree bearing the almond.

-- Almond willow (Bot.), a willow which has leaves that are of a light green on both sides; almond-leaved willow (Salix amygdalina). Shenstone.

--- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Almond - A native of Syria and Palestine. In form, blossoms, and fruit it resembles the peach tree. Its blossoms are of a very pale pink color, and appear before its leaves. Its Hebrew name, shaked, signifying "wakeful, hastening," is given to it on account of its putting forth its blossoms so early, generally in February, and sometimes even in January. In Ecclesiastes 12:5, it is referred to as illustrative, probably, of the haste with which old age comes. There are others, however, who still contend for the old interpretation here. "The almond tree bears its blossoms in the midst of winter, on a barren, leafless stem, and these blossoms (reddish or flesh-colored in the beginning) seem at the time of their fall exactly like white snowflakes. In this way the almond blossom is a very fitting symbol of old age, with its silvery hair and its wintry, dry, barren, unfruitful condition." In Jeremiah 1:11 "I see a rod of an almond tree [shaked]... for I will hasten [shaked] my word to perform it" the word is used as an emblem of promptitude. Jacob desired his sons (Genesis 43:11) to take with them into Egypt of the best fruits of the land, almonds, etc., as a present to Joseph, probably because this tree was not a native of Egypt. Aaron's rod yielded almonds (Numbers 17:8; Hebrews 9:4). Moses was directed to make certain parts of the candlestick for the ark of carved work "like unto almonds" (Exodus 25:33 - 25:34). The Hebrew word luz, translated "hazel" in the Authorized Version (Genesis 30:37), is rendered in the Revised Version "almond." It is probable that luz denotes the wild almond, while shaked denotes the cultivated variety.