areca

[ uh-ree-kuh, ar-i- ]

/ əˈri kə, ˈær ɪ- /

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noun

any tropical Asian palm of the genus Areca, as the betel palm.

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Origin of areca

First recorded in 1500–10; from New Latin (earlier English spellings reflect Portuguese or French ); all ultimately from Malayalam aṭaykka

Words nearby areca

area rug, area study, area vasculosa, area vitellina, areaway, areca, Arecibo, Arecibo Observatory, arecoline, areflexia, areg

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use areca in a sentence

It is prepared from the nut of the areca palm, one of the most beautiful trees in the world.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
They at length reached an open lot where a wretched hut stood off by itself surrounded by banana-plants and areca-palms.
The Reign of Greed|Jose Rizal
Areca-nuts and copra are also exported in some quantities, more especially from Mūar.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various
Areca, a genus of lofty palms with pinnated leaves, and a drupe-like fruit enclosed in a fibrous rind.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various

With lime and the leaves of the betel-pepper, the areca-nuts when green form the celebrated masticatory of the East.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for areca

areca

/ (ˈærɪkə, əˈriːkə) /

noun

any of various tall palms of the genus Areca, which are native to SE Asia and have white flowers and orange or red egg-shaped nuts

Word Origin for areca

C16: from Portuguese, from Malayalam adekka

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