WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Bdel"lium
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [L., fr. Gr. ; cf. Heb. b'dolakh bdellium (in sense 1).]
Definition : 1. An unidentified substance mentioned in the Bible (Gen. ii. 12, and Num. xi. 7), variously taken to be a gum, a precious stone, or pearls, or perhaps a kind of amber found in Arabia.

2. A gum resin of reddish brown color, brought from India, Persia, and Africa.

Note: Indian bdellium or false myrrh is an exudation from Balsamodendron Roxb. Other kinds are known as African, Sicilian, etc.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913