\Gal"ban\, Galbanum \Gal"ba*num\, n. [L. galbanum, Gr. ?,
prob. from Heb. klekb'n?h: cf. F. galbanum.]
A gum resin exuding from the stems of certain Asiatic
umbelliferous plants, mostly species of {Ferula}. The {Bubon
Galbanum} of South Africa furnishes an inferior kind of
galbanum. It has an acrid, bitter taste, a strong, unpleasant
smell, and is used for medical purposes, also in the arts, as
in the manufacture of varnish.