Today's word: bezoar

I just came across this word. It sounds like something I heard Prof. Snape refer to in one of the Harry Potter movies, but must be different. According to dictionary.com it is defined thus:

be·zoar
n. A hard indigestible mass of material, such as hair, vegetable fibers, or fruits, found in the stomachs or intestines of animals, especially ruminants, and humans. It was formerly considered to be an antidote to poisons and to possess magic properties.


Here's a photo from flickr

It's a strange thing and it represents one of the reason nail biters should always spit out the clippings they bite off.