acacia catechu

Noun
Synonyms: catechuJerusalem thornAcacia catechu

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

  1. East Indian spiny tree having twice-pinnate leaves and yellow flowers followed by flat pods; source of black catechuSynonyms: catechuJerusalem thornAcacia catechu
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Catechu \Cat"e*chu\, n. [See Cashoo.] (Chem.) A dry, brown, astringent extract, obtained by decoction and evaporation from the Acacia catechu, and several other plants growing in India. It contains a large portion of tannin or tannic acid, and is used in medicine and in the arts. It is also known by the names terra japonica, cutch, gambier, etc. --Ure. --Dunglison. [1913 Webster]
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