abaca

[ab-uh-kah, ah-buh-]

noun

1. a Philippine plant, Musa textilis.

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

abaca

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of abaca¹

1810–20; < Spanish < Tagalog abaká

Word History and Origins

Origin of abaca¹

via Spanish from Tagalog abaká

Example Sentences

In the living room, there’s a graphic abaca rug in the shape of a slithering snake.

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With its slightly prickly fibers, the abaca rug from Belgian firm Limited Edition adds another note of coarseness, while the custom velvet sofa and bronze coffee table ooze sensual luxury.

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Balangiga, a small coastal town about 600 miles southeast of Manila, was important for its trade in abaca, a kind of hemp used in making rope and ship’s rigging.

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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.

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The tropical was in jellyfish motifs, tropical fruit prints, stunning cobalt blue dyes and in an inventive linen material that mixed abaca - woven wild banana - with pineapple yarns.

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Related Words

• bhang 
• cannabis 
• fiber 
• flax 
• hashish 
• jute 
• marijuana