sumac

American  

[soo-mak, shoo-] / ˈsu mæk, ˈʃu- /

Or sumach

noun

1. any of several shrubs or small trees belonging to the genus Rhus of the cashew family, having milky sap, compound leaves, and small, fleshy fruit.

2. a preparation of the dried and powdered leaves, bark, etc., of certain species of Rhus, especially R. coriaria of southern Europe, used especially in tanning.

3. the wood of these trees.

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Etymology

Origin of sumac

1250–1300; Middle English < Medieval Latin < Arabic summāq

Example Sentences

“Recipes From the American South” is a cookbook that I will come back to again and again for its roasts and stews, cakes and pies—and surprises like Appalachian lemonade made from sumac.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

“Once I started playing around with flavor combinations that I love — like rhubarb, mint, sumac and mascarpone and black and white cookies — I realized the world is our cookie salad oyster.”

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2025

Hillsides choked with sumac, sage and buckwheat a week earlier now had the look of the inside of a very ancient barbecue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2025

For full-spectrum flavor, you could also include a pinch of sumac for sourness, a fleck of crushed dried seaweed for savoriness and a dash of poppy seeds for sweet nuttiness.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 15, 2023

Along the rail fence the sumac held up its dark red cones of berries above bright flame-colored leaves.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder