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amadou

[am-uh-doo]
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noun

a spongy substance prepared from fungi, Polyporus (Fomes) fomentarius and allied species, growing on trees, used as tinder and in surgery.

Origin of amadou

1805–15; < French, Middle French, apparently noun derivative of amadouer to coax, influence by flattery. verbal derivative of Provençal, Old Provençal amadou(r) lover < Latin amātōr-, stem of amātor (see amateur); name is usually explained by the conventional association between love and highly combustible substances
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for amadou

Contemporary Examples of amadou

Historical Examples of amadou

  • Thom says that Boletus laricis and Polyporus fomentarius yield the amadou of commerce.

    Among the Mushrooms

    Ellen M. Dallas and Caroline A. Burgin

  • I suppose, if the datum has anywhere been admitted to French publications, the word "amadou" has been avoided, and "punk" used.

  • In this English publication, the word "punk" is not used; the substance is called "amadou."

  • Its thick spongy stem, being reduced to charcoal, takes fire like amadou.

British Dictionary definitions for amadou

amadou

noun

a spongy substance made from certain fungi, such as Polyporus (or Fomes) fomentarius and related species, used as tinder to light fires, in medicine to stop bleeding, and, esp formerly, by anglers to dry off dry flies between casts

Word Origin for amadou

C18: from French, from Provençal: lover, from Latin amātor, from amāre to love; so called because it readily ignites
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