babul

American  

[buh-bool, bah-bool] / bəˈbul, ˈbɑ bul /

noun

1. any of several leguminous trees of the genus Acacia that yield a gum, especially A. nilotica, of tropical Africa.

2. the gum, pods, or bark of such a tree.

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babul British  

/ ˈbɑːbuːl, bɑːˈbuːl /

noun

1. any of several leguminous trees of the genus Acacia , esp A. arabica of N Africa and India, which bear small yellow flowers and are a source of gum arabic, tannin, and hardwood

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Etymology

Origin of babul

1815–25; < Hindi babūl < Persian

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

babul

An African bullfrog lunges for a babul butterfly but misses.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Unkempt, unclean, athwart the mist The seething city looms, In place of Putney's golden gorse The sickly babul blooms.

From Departmental Ditties and Barrack Room Ballads by Rudyard Kipling

Two thorn bushes grew on either side of the door, like babul bushes, covered with a golden coloured bloom, and the roof was all of thatch.

From Traffics and Discoveries by Rudyard Kipling

Of the common trees of the plains of India—the nim, mango, babul, tamarind, shesham, palm, and plantain—not one is to be found growing on the hills.

From Birds of the Indian Hills by Douglas Dewar

The favourite sites for nests in the United Provinces seem to be babul trees that grow near borrow pits alongside the railroad.

From A Bird Calendar for Northern India by Douglas Dewar