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Glite Dictionary
nard

nard

3 9.9
A fragrant oil used as perfume and medicine in ancient times
  • noun
  • /nɑrd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : nardo
  • 3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus.

Examples

  • Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume... made of pure nard... poured it on Jesus' feet... and wiped them with her hair.

    The Gospel of John (2003)

  • She gifted her mother a bottle of nard extracted from the spikenard plant for her birthday, knowing it would remind her of their homeland.

  • In ancient times, the priest used nard to anoint the sacred objects in the temple.

  • During the ceremony, they applied nard on the altar as a symbol of reverence and purity.

Synonyms

spikenard
vsnard
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A rare fragrant oil from plants used long ago for smell and healing

is made from a single named plant rather than from various species
nards
vsnard
  • Archaic
9.9

A strong-smelling plant root or oil used in perfumes

is the singular form used for the ointment or plant in ancient times

Surface Forms

nard singular
nards plural

Etymology

The word nard comes from old Latin and Greek words nardus and nardos, and from an old Indian word nard for the same fragrant plant. People long ago used nard as a rich, sweet-smelling oil to anoint people or as a 'perfume', so the origin helps explain why nard today means a valuable scented ointment.