spikenard

IPA: spˈaɪknɝd

A perfumed ointment, extracted from the plant Nardostachys jatamansi that belongs to the Valerian family and grows in the Himalayas.
The plant Nardostachys jatamansi (syn. Nardostachys grandiflora).
Lavandula stoechas, another species used in antiquity to produce an aromatic oil.
Any plant of the genus Aralia of the Araliaceae family.
False spikenard (Maianthemum racemosum, syn. Smilacina racemosa)
Ploughman's spikenard (Inula conyza, now Pentanema conyzae).
Wild spikenard (Asarum europaeum).

Examples of "spikenard" in Sentences

The spikenard is a lowly herb, the emblem of humility.
In the garden grow "an orchard of pomegranates . . . spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense".
Geilie's loose, flowing gowns smelled always of the essences she distilled: marigold, chamomile, bay leaf, spikenard, mint, marjoram.
When Mary washes his feet with expensive spikenard, Judas asks, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"
Season of the Inundation: Sweet, black silt mingled with holy myrrh, melilot, hyssop, spikenard, balsam, cedar, and a hint of melting snow from the Abyssinian hills.
In another incident the hapless Judas Iscariot questions why Jesus has expensive ointment (a pound of "spikenard" worth 300 denarii, or a year's wages) rubbed on his feet (and wiped off with a woman's hair!).
This scent is subtitled “A spikenard perfume” and this is an aromatic plant from which a healing ointment is made; it has been used for both its medicinal properties and in rituals since ancient times and is a component of Indian Ayurvedic traditions.
Other significant aromatics in traditional Japanese perfumery are gum-resins such as borneol and camphor, myrrh, frankincense and benzoin; roots such as galangal alpinia and spikenard; patchouli leaves; and spices – cloves, cassia, cinnamon and star anise.