gambir; catechu; cutch
A traditional herbal extract from Uncaria gambir or Acacia catechu, used in medicine, dyeing, and tanning. The term is technical and rarely used in everyday conversation.
Gambir was once used as an antidiarrheal and a dye.
This kampo formula contains catechu.
Specialized kanji spelling for the herbal extract; rarely encountered outside historical or technical contexts.
Katakana spelling commonly used for this loanword-derived term.
The Japanese term 阿仙薬 (あせんやく) is derived from the Chinese name for the herbal extract, which itself may trace back to a Southeast Asian source. The exact derivation is uncertain.