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

Explanation

An acacia is a kind of tree or bush that grows in very warm climates. If you visit Australia, you're likely to see an acacia. Acacias are found in places like South America, Africa, and parts of Asia, though the majority of acacias grow in Australia. Many acacias have tiny leaves and are covered in thorns, although there are varieties that aren't thorny — still, the name itself comes from the Greek word akakia, "thorny Egyptian tree," probably rooted in ake, or "thorn."

Example Sentences

These 4,600-year-old funerary boats, made of cedar and acacia, were intended to transport the king into the afterlife.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

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

Above Landman’s wrist, a zebra bends to graze, while a giraffe behind steps through a stand of wind-bent acacia trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025

The school is in a compound made up of 10 classrooms arranged in a horseshoe shape around a playground where acacia trees and plants spring out of the sandy soil.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2024

Our hut was under an acacia tree that still stands today.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola