[Dixonary] The definition of UPAS

[Johnb - co.uk]

Dear Dixonarians

I have had some discussion with a couple of people about my def for
UPAS - the resolution is that there is a difference between OED (Oxford
English Dictionary) on-line which I use and OD (Oxford Dictionaries) on
line which I suspect most of you have access to if you lookup Oxford

=====================================
Here is pasted the whole OED Online entry that I see and, as you can
note, the actual real tree comes 3rd of 4 (or second of 3: 1a, 1b, 2,
3) [[[[ I can see more, but I chose tp paste the non-complete options
for etymology and citings ]]]]

*Forms:* Also 18 *oopas*.
*Frequency (in current use):*
<http://www.oed.com/frequencybandinformation/6>
*Etymology:* < Malay /ūpas/ poison, in the comb. /pōhun/ (or /pūhun/)
/ūpas/ poison-tree. ...
*1.*
This definition has not been fully updated (first published 1926)


*a.* A fabulous tree alleged to have existed in Java, at some
distance from Batavia, with properties so poisonous as to destroy
all animal and vegetable life to a distance of fifteen or sixteen
miles around it.The account given in the /London Magazine/ of
1783, from which Erasmus Darwin adopted and gave currency to the
fiction, professed to be translated from one written in Dutch by
Mr. Foersch (who was a surgeon at Samarang in 1773), but was app.
the invention of George Steevens. The history of the fable is
fully traced in Yule and Burnell's /Hobson-Jobson/, at /Upas/.

1783—1858(Show quotations)
<http://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/219818#>

*b.* /fig./ A baleful, destructive, or deadly power or influence.

1801—1885(Show quotations)
<http://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/219818#>


*2.* /Bot./ The Javanese tree /Antiaris toxicaria/, yielding a
poisonous juice. (Cf. antiar n.
<http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/8506#eid1886580>)

1814—1872(Show quotations)
<http://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/219818#>


*3.* The poison obtained from the upas-tree.

1783—1860(Show quotations)
<http://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/219818#>

===========================----------
Here is pasted the OD Online entry

*upas
*upasˈjuːpəs/
(also upas tree)


Definition of /upas/ in English:


noun

1A tropical Asian
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Asian#Asian__2>
tree, the milky
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/milky#milky__2>
sap <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/sap#sap__2> of
which has been used as arrow
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/arrow#arrow__2>
poison
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/poison#poison__2>
and for ritual
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ritual#ritual__2>
purposes.

* /Antiaris toxicaria/, family /Moraceae/

1.1(In folklore
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/folklore#folklore__2>)
a Javanese
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Javanese#Javanese__2>
tree alleged
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/allege#allege__2>
to poison
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/poison#poison__10>
its surroundings
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/surroundings#surroundings__2>
and said to be fatal
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/fatal#fatal__2> to
approach
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/approach#approach__2>..


Origin

Late 18th century: from Malay
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Malay#Malay__6>
(/pohun) upas/ 'poison'.


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