betel

American  

[beet-l] / ˈbit l /

Or betel pepper

noun

1. an East Indian pepper plant, Piper betle, the leaves of which are chewed with other ingredients.

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betel British  

/ ˈbiːtəl /

noun

1. an Asian piperaceous climbing plant, Piper betle , the leaves of which are chewed, with the betel nut, by the peoples of SE Asia

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Etymology

Origin of betel

1545–55; < Portuguese bétele, bétere < Malayalam viṟṟila or Tamil veṟṟilai

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

betel

The researchers identified this pattern as a new bioarchaeological marker linked to a previously unrecognized behavior: repeatedly sucking whole betel nuts.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Both of the hunter-gatherers showed an unusual dental wear pattern with deep, rounded tooth grooves, which the researchers found was caused by sucking whole betel nuts.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

"There's so much confusion right now," said Mohammad Shafayet Biswas, 46, a banana and betel leaf seller in Gopalganj.

From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026

But betel chew—a mixture of areca nuts, betel leaves and slaked lime—is entirely different from datura.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

At their feet were piled betel leaves, rice and a host of sweetmeats.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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