nard

See also n-ard

English

Etymology

From Middle English narde, from Latin nardus, from Ancient Greek νάρδος (nárdos), ultimately from Sanskrit नरद (nárada, “Indian spikenard”).

Noun

nard (countable and uncountable; plural nards)

1. A flowering plant of the Valerian family that grows in the Himalayas of China, used as a perfume, an incense, a sedative, and an herbal medicine said to fight insomnia, flatulence, birth difficulties, and other minor ailments.
2. A fragrant oil formerly much prized from the plant.
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Mark XIV:

     there cam a woman with an alablaster boxe of oyntmenr, called narde, that was pure and costly, and she brake the boxe and powred it on his heed.

3. (usually plural as nards) American 1980s slang word for testicles, equivalent to balls or nuts. Example: The soccer ball hit me right in the nards!

Derived terms

• spikenard

References

• nard, in Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1987.

Anagrams

• darn
• rand, Rand, RAND
• rDNA