acacia

American  

[uh-key-shuh] / əˈkeɪ ʃə /

noun

1. a small tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia, of the mimosa family, having clusters of small yellow flowers.

2. any of several other plants, as the locust tree.

3. gum arabic.

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acacia British  

/ əˈkeɪʃə /

noun

1. any shrub or tree of the tropical and subtropical leguminous genus Acacia, having compound or reduced leaves and small yellow or white flowers in dense inflorescences See also wattle 1

2. another name for locust locust

3. another name for gum arabic

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Etymology

Origin of acacia

1535–45; < Latin < Greek akakía Egyptian thorn

Example Sentences

Vast stretches of a once-verdant acacia forest south of Sudan's capital Khartoum have been reduced to little more than fields of stumps as nearly three years of conflict have fuelled deforestation.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

Common examples include species of acacia, eucalyptus, poplar, and pine.

From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026

Elephants around Lake Manyara in Tanzania were killing acacia trees by ripping off bark and leaving “pale ghostly white trunks.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Amira's lowest moment came when a tyre burst as she was travelling through an acacia forest, leaving passengers stranded without any water.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

The workshop came clear into his mind, until it seemed as if he were there again, this minute, smelling the acacia blossoms just outside the door.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw