amadou

[ am-uh-doo ]

noun
  1. a spongy substance prepared from fungi, Polyporus (Fomes) fomentarius and allied species, growing on trees, used as tinder and in surgery.

Origin of amadou

1
1805–15; <French, Middle French, apparently noun derivative of amadouer to coax, influence by flattery. verbal derivative of Provençal, Old Provençal amadou(r) lover <Latin amātōr-, stem of amātor (see amateur); name is usually explained by the conventional association between love and highly combustible substances

Words Nearby amadou

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How to use amadou in a sentence

  • Its thick spongy stem, being reduced to charcoal, takes fire like amadou.

  • I suppose, if the datum has anywhere been admitted to French publications, the word "amadou" has been avoided, and "punk" used.

    The Book of the Damned | Charles Fort
  • Thom says that Boletus laricis and Polyporus fomentarius yield the amadou of commerce.

    Among the Mushrooms | Ellen M. Dallas and Caroline A. Burgin
  • Le costume n'est pas uniforme; on voit plus d'un manteau amadou rapic de bleu vif ou de rouge garance.

    Walks in Rome | Augustus J.C. Hare

British Dictionary definitions for amadou

amadou

/ (ˈæməˌduː) /


noun
  1. a spongy substance made from certain fungi, such as Polyporus (or Fomes) fomentarius and related species, used as tinder to light fires, in medicine to stop bleeding, and, esp formerly, by anglers to dry off dry flies between casts

Origin of amadou

1
C18: from French, from Provençal: lover, from Latin amātor, from amāre to love; so called because it readily ignites

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