sapele

[ suh-pee-lee ]

noun

1. Also called aboudikro. the mahoganylike wood of any of several African trees of the genus Entandrophragma, used for making furniture.
2. a tree, especially Entandrophragma cylindricum, of the mahogany family, yielding this wood.

sapele

/ səˈpiːlɪ /

noun

1. any of several W African meliaceous trees of the genus Entandrophragma, esp E. cylindricum, yielding a hard timber resembling mahogany
2. the timber obtained from such a tree, used to make furniture

Word History and Origins

Origin of sapele¹

First recorded in 1900–05; after Sapele, a port on the Benin River in S Nigeria

Word History and Origins

Origin of sapele¹

C20: West African name