guinea plum

Guinea \Guin"ea\ (g[i^]n"[-e]), n.
   1. A district on the west coast of Africa (formerly noted for
      its export of gold and slaves) after which the Guinea
      fowl, Guinea grass, Guinea peach, etc., are named.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A gold coin of England current for twenty-one shillings
      sterling, or about five dollars, but not coined since the
      issue of sovereigns in 1817.
      [1913 Webster]

            The guinea, so called from the Guinea gold out of
            which it
            was first struck, was proclaimed in 1663, and to go
            for twenty shillings; but it never went for less
            than twenty-one shillings.            --Pinkerton.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Guinea corn}. (Bot.) See {Durra}.

   {Guinea Current} (Geog.), a current in the Atlantic Ocean
      setting southwardly into the Bay of Benin on the coast of
      Guinea.

   {Guinea dropper} one who cheats by dropping counterfeit
      guineas. [Obs.] --Gay.

   {Guinea fowl}, {Guinea hen} (Zool.), an African gallinaceous
      bird, of the genus {Numida}, allied to the pheasants. The
      common domesticated species ({Numida meleagris}), has a
      colored fleshy horn on each aide of the head, and is of a
      dark gray color, variegated with small white spots. The
      crested Guinea fowl ({Numida cristata}) is a finer
      species.

   {Guinea grains} (Bot.), grains of Paradise, or amomum. See
      {Amomum}.

   {Guinea grass} (Bot.), a tall strong forage grass ({Panicum
      jumentorum}) introduced. from Africa into the West Indies
      and Southern United States.

   {Guinea-hen flower} (Bot.), a liliaceous flower ({Fritillaria
      Meleagris}) with petals spotted like the feathers of the
      Guinea hen.

   {Guinea peach}. See under {Peach}.

   {Guinea pepper} (Bot.), the pods of the {Xylopia aromatica},
      a tree of the order {Anonace[ae]}, found in tropical West
      Africa. They are also sold under the name of {Piper
      aethiopicum}.

   {Guinea plum} (Bot.), the fruit of {Parinarium excelsum}, a
      large West African tree of the order {Chrysobalane[ae]},
      having a scarcely edible fruit somewhat resembling a plum,
      which is also called {gray plum} and {rough-skin plum}.

   {Guinea worm} (Zool.), a long and slender African nematoid
      worm ({Filaria Medinensis}) of a white color. It lives in
      the cellular tissue of man, beneath the skin, and produces
      painful sores.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Plum \Plum\, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?.
   Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit of the {Prunus
      domestica}, and of several other species of {Prunus};
      also, the tree itself, usually called {plum tree}.
      [1913 Webster]

            The bullace, the damson, and the numerous varieties
            of plum, of our gardens, although growing into
            thornless trees, are believed to be varieties of the
            blackthorn, produced by long cultivation. --G.
                                                  Bentham.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: Two or three hundred varieties of plums derived from
         the {Prunus domestica} are described; among them the
         {greengage}, the {Orleans}, the {purple gage}, or
         {Reine Claude Violette}, and the {German prune}, are
         some of the best known.
         [1913 Webster]

   Note: Among the true plums are;

   {Beach plum}, the {Prunus maritima}, and its crimson or
      purple globular drupes,

   {Bullace plum}. See {Bullace}.

   {Chickasaw plum}, the American {Prunus Chicasa}, and its
      round red drupes.

   {Orleans plum}, a dark reddish purple plum of medium size,
      much grown in England for sale in the markets.

   {Wild plum of America}, {Prunus Americana}, with red or
      yellow fruit, the original of the {Iowa plum} and several
      other varieties.
      [1913 Webster] Among plants called plum, but of other
      genera than {Prunus}, are;

   {Australian plum}, {Cargillia arborea} and {Cargillia
      australis}, of the same family with the persimmon.

   {Blood plum}, the West African {H[ae]matostaphes Barteri}.

   {Cocoa plum}, the Spanish nectarine. See under {Nectarine}.
      

   {Date plum}. See under {Date}.

   {Gingerbread plum}, the West African {Parinarium
      macrophyllum}.

   {Gopher plum}, the Ogeechee lime.

   {Gray plum}, {Guinea plum}. See under {Guinea}.

   {Indian plum}, several species of {Flacourtia}.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A grape dried in the sun; a raisin.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A handsome fortune or property; formerly, in cant
      language, the sum of [pounds]100,000 sterling; also, the
      person possessing it.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Something likened to a plum in desirableness; a good or
      choice thing of its kind, as among appointments,
      positions, parts of a book, etc.; as, the mayor rewarded
      his cronies with cushy plums, requiring little work for
      handsome pay
      [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

   5. A color resembling that of a plum; a slightly grayish deep
      purple, varying somewhat in its red or blue tint.
      [PJC]

   {Plum bird}, {Plum budder} (Zool.), the European bullfinch.
      

   {Plum gouger} (Zool.), a weevil, or curculio ({Coccotorus
      scutellaris}), which destroys plums. It makes round holes
      in the pulp, for the reception of its eggs. The larva
      bores into the stone and eats the kernel.

   {Plum weevil} (Zool.), an American weevil which is very
      destructive to plums, nectarines, cherries, and many other
      stone fruits. It lays its eggs in crescent-shaped
      incisions made with its jaws. The larva lives upon the
      pulp around the stone. Called also {turk}, and {plum
      curculio}. See Illust. under {Curculio}.
      [1913 Webster]