Manna

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: man=na

CIDE DICTIONARY

Manna, n. [L., fr. Gr. ma`nna, Heb. mān; cf. Ar. mann, properly, gift (of heaven).].

•  The food supplied to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness of Arabia; hence, divinely supplied food.  Ex. xvi. 15.  [1913 Webster]
•  A name given to lichens of the genus Lecanora, sometimes blown into heaps in the deserts of Arabia and Africa, and gathered and used as food; called also manna lichen.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sweetish exudation in the form of pale yellow friable flakes, coming from several trees and shrubs and used in medicine as a gentle laxative, as the secretion of Fraxinus Ornus, and Fraxinus rotundifolia, the manna ashes of Southern Europe.  [1913 Webster]

  " Persian manna is the secretion of the camel's thorn (see Camel's thorn, under Camel); Tamarisk manna, that of the Tamarisk mannifera, a shrub of Western Asia; Australian, manna, that of certain species of eucalyptus; Briançon manna, that of the European larch."  [1913 Webster]

Manna insect (Zoöl), a scale insect (Gossyparia mannipara), which causes the exudation of manna from the Tamarix tree in Arabia.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Manna, n.
1 the substance miraculously supplied as food to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exod. 16).
2 an unexpected benefit (esp. manna from heaven).
3 spiritual nourishment, esp. the Eucharist.
4 the sweet dried juice from the manna-ash and other plants, used as a mild laxative.

Idiom

manna-ash an ash tree native to S. Europe, Fraxinus ornus.

Etymology

OE f. LL f. Gk f. Aram. manna f. Heb. man, explained as = man hu? what is it?, but prob. = Arab. mann exudation of common tamarisk (Tamarix gallica)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Manna

n. A food miraculously given to the Israelites in the wilderness. When it was no longer supplied to them they settled down and tilled the soil, fertilizing it, as a rule, with the bodies of the original occupants.

THESAURUS

Manna

TLC, ambrosia, benefaction, benefit, benevolence, blessing, bonne bouche, boon, bread, care, cate, choice morsel, daily bread, dainty, delicacy, dessert, economic support, endowment, favor, godsend, goody, grace, keep, kickshaw, livelihood, living, loaves and fishes, maintenance, manna from heaven, meat, morsel, mothering, nectar, nourishment, nurture, price support, provision, savory, subsidization, subsidy, subsistence, subvention, support, sustainment, sustenance, sustentation, tender loving care, tidbit, titbit, treat, upkeep

ROGET THESAURUS

Manna

Sweetness

N sweetness, dulcitude, sugar, syrup, treacle, molasses, honey, manna, confection, confectionary, sweets, grocery, conserve, preserve, confiture, jam, julep, sugar-candy, sugar-plum, licorice, marmalade, plum, lollipop, bonbon, jujube, comfit, sweetmeat, apple butter, caramel, damson, glucose, maple sirup, maple syrup, maple sugar, mithai, sorghum, taffy, nectar, hydromel, mead, meade, metheglin, honeysuckle, liqueur, sweet wine, aperitif, sugar cane, sugar beets, desert, pastry, pie, cake, candy, ice cream, tart, puff, pudding (food), dulcification, dulcoration, sweetener, corn syrup, cane sugar, refined sugar, beet sugar, dextrose, artificial sweetener, saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, Sweet'N Low, sweet, saccharine, sacchariferous, dulcet, candied, honied, luscious, lush, nectarious, melliferous, sweetened, sweet as a nut, sweet as sugar, sweet as honey, sickly sweet, eau sucr_ee, sweets to the sweet.