Mar·go·sa n.  Bot. A large tree of the genus Melia (Melia Azadirachta) found in India.  Its bark is bitter, and used as a tonic.  A valuable oil is expressed from its seeds, and a tenacious gum exudes from its trunk.  The Melia Azedarach is a much more showy tree, and is cultivated in the Southern United States, where it is known as Pride of India, Pride of China, or bead tree.  Various parts of the tree are considered anthelmintic.
    The margosa oil . . . is a most valuable balsam for wounds, having a peculiar smell which prevents the attacks of flies.   --Sir S. Baker.

 ◄ ►


 margosa
      n : large semi-evergreen tree of the East Indies; trunk exudes a
          tenacious gum; bitter bark used as a tonic; seeds yield
          an aromatic oil; sometimes placed in genus Melia [syn: neem,
           neem tree, nim tree, arishth, Azadirachta indica,
           Melia Azadirachta]