Standard Lemma guide

bdellium

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈdɛ.li.əm/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • proscribed: /b(ə)ˈdɛli.əm/
  • rhymes with -ɛliəm
  • homophone: Delium

1

noun

Meaning 1

An aromatic gum-like balsam extracted from one of several species of tree in the genus Commiphora.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

aromatic gum resin; similar to myrrh

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gum resin

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin bdellium, from Ancient Greek βδέλλιον (bdéllion), itself perhaps from Hebrew בְּדֹלַח (bdólakh), cognate with Akkadian 𒁉𒁺𒌨𒄷 (bidurḫu) or from Sanskrit भिदुर (bhidura, “something brittle, fragile, easily split or broken”).

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: গুগগুল (gugogul) — aromatic gum
  • Bengali: গুগগুলু (guggulu) — aromatic gum
  • Catalan: bdel·li — aromatic gum
  • Ancient Greek: βδέλλιον (bdéllion) — aromatic gum
  • Ancient Greek: μάλδακον (máldakon) — aromatic gum
  • Hindi: गूगल (gūgal) — aromatic gum
  • Hindi: गुग्गुल (guggul) — aromatic gum
  • Italian: bdellio — aromatic gum
  • Māori: teriuma — aromatic gum
  • Sanskrit: गुग्गुल (guggula) — aromatic gum
  • Sanskrit: गुल्गुलु (gulgulu) — aromatic gum
  • Tagalog: bedelyo — aromatic gum