catechu

[ kat-i-choo, -kyoo ]

noun
  1. 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

1
1670–80; <New Latin <Portuguese; perhaps a conflation of Marathi kāt catechu and kāccu, with same sense, alleged to be <Malayalam; cashoo, cutch perhaps <Malay kacu<Malayalam, or a cognate Dravidian word

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British Dictionary definitions for catechu

catechu

cachou or cutch

/ (ˈkætɪˌtʃuː) /


noun
  1. 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

1
C17: probably from Malay kachu, of Dravidian origin

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