n. [ L., fr. Gr. ma`nna, Heb. mān; cf. Ar. mann, properly, gift (of heaven). ] 1. (Script.) The food supplied to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness of Arabia; hence, divinely supplied food. Ex. xvi. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A name given to lichens of the genus Lecanora, sometimes blown into heaps in the deserts of Arabia and Africa, and gathered and used as food; called also manna lichen. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot. & Med.) A sweetish exudation in the form of pale yellow friable flakes, coming from several trees and shrubs and used in medicine as a gentle laxative, as the secretion of Fraxinus Ornus, and Fraxinus rotundifolia, the manna ashes of Southern Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Persian manna is the secretion of the camel's thorn (see Camel's thorn, under Camel); Tamarisk manna, that of the Tamarisk mannifera, a shrub of Western Asia; Australian, manna, that of certain species of eucalyptus; Briançon manna, that of the European larch. [ 1913 Webster ]

Manna insect (Zool), a scale insect (Gossyparia mannipara), which causes the exudation of manna from the Tamarix tree in Arabia. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.), A South Mediterranean ash (Fraxinus ornus) having fragrant white flowers in dense panicles and yielding manna.
Syn. -- flowering ash, Fraxinus ornus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

[ Manna + Russ. & Pol. krupa groats, grits. ] 1. The portions of hard wheat kernels not ground into flour by the millstones: a kind of semolina prepared in Russia and used for puddings, soups, etc. -- called also manna groats. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The husked grains of manna grass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.), Any of several tall slender grasses of the genus Glyceria. They have long loose panicles, have a sweet flavor or odor, and grow in moist places. Nerved manna grass is Glyceria nervata, and Floating manna grass is Glyceria fluitans. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.), A tall tree (Eucalyptus viminalis) yielding a false manna. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Any of several Old World semicrustaceous or shrubby lecanoras that roll up and are blown about over African and Arabian deserts and used as food by people and animals; same as manna{ 2 }. [ WordNet 1.5 ]