a tropical plant with thick leaves that have sharp points and that contain a lot of water. The juice of some types of aloe is used in medicine and cosmetics. Topics Plants and treesc2芦荟(有些品种的汁液可用于制药和化妆品) Word OriginOld English alewe, alwe (denoting the fragrant resin or the inner layers of wood of certain oriental trees), via Latin from Greek aloē; reinforced in late Middle English by Old French aloes ‘aloe’, hence frequently used in the plural.