catechu
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (2)
- extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu used for dyeing and tanning and preserving fishnets and sails; formerly used medicinallySynonyms: black catechu
- East Indian spiny tree having twice-pinnate leaves and yellow flowers followed by flat pods; source of black catechuSynonyms: Jerusalem thornAcacia catechu
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]