catechu
any of several astringent substances obtained from various tropical plants, especially from the wood of two East Indian acacias, Acacia catechu and A. suma: used in medicine, dyeing, tanning, etc.
Origin of catechu
1Words Nearby catechu
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use catechu in a sentence
Foreign astringents (generally catechu) are added to conceal the presence of exhausted leaves.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants | Edwin M. BruceA catechu bath is now prepared, in which the silk is entered and worked for an hour, and then allowed to steep over night.
Textiles | William H. DooleyThe astringent taste of old brandy is imitated by the introduction of a little catechu into the British spirits.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines | Andrew UreA third product to which the name catechu is also applied, is obtained from the fruits of the areca or betel palm, Areca catechu.
Ordinary black catechu is usually imported in three different forms.
British Dictionary definitions for catechu
cachou or cutch
/ (ˈkætɪˌtʃuː) /
a water-soluble astringent resinous substance obtained from any of certain tropical plants, esp the leguminous tree Acacia catechu of S Asia, and used in medicine, tanning, and dyeing: See also gambier
Origin of catechu
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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