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abaca

American  
[ab-uh-kah, ah-buh-] / ˌæb əˈkɑ, ˌɑ bə- /

noun

  1. a Philippine plant, Musa textilis.

  2. the fiber of this plant, used in making rope, fabrics, etc.


abaca British  
/ ˈæbəkə /

noun

  1. a Philippine plant, Musa textilis, related to the banana: family Musaceae. Its leafstalks are the source of Manila hemp

  2. another name for Manila hemp

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of abaca

1810–20; < Spanish < Tagalog abaká

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

From a helicopter, “we saw the devastation of coconuts, abaca and the forests. There are lots of houses without roofs,” Lorenzana said by text message.

From Washington Times • Dec. 27, 2016

The artist Randy Brozen will lead the workshop, showing young artists how to make paper from the fibers of cotton and abaca, a type of banana tree that grows in the Philippines.

From New York Times • Feb. 21, 2014

A little further on, we pass an older man in a Diesel T-shirt, shredding abaca bark to make twine.

From Slate • Feb. 29, 2012

Manila hemp comes from abaca, a plant much like the one bananas grow on.

From Time Magazine Archive

He led the way through the long rows of abaca which drooped listless fronds in the quivering heat, and into the cool woods which surrounded his fields.

From Terry A Tale of the Hill People by Thomson, Charles Goff