betel nut

noun

the astringent kernel of the seed of the betel palm, chewed in many tropical regions in combination with slaked lime and the leaves of the betel plant.

Origin of betel nut

First recorded in 1675–85

Also called areca nut.

Words Nearby betel nut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use betel nut in a sentence

Later, if they decide to separate, the couple must break a betel nut to break the union.
A Little Too Off the Beaten Path in Burma | Katya Cengel | June 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
As she chewed her betel-nut the Princess Putri Balan hit upon a plan.
The Curious Book of Birds | Abbie Farwell Brown
Yes, I will say yes, if you will only leave me to finish my betel-nut undisturbed.
The Curious Book of Birds | Abbie Farwell Brown
Have you finished your betel-nut at last, and are you ready to keep your promise?
The Curious Book of Birds | Abbie Farwell Brown
The Deb Zimpun's eyes glistened and he showed his teeth, stained red with betel-nut chewing, in a gracious smile.
Life in an Indian Outpost | Gordon Casserly

Two or three boys awoke and watched him while they prepared and chewed betel nut and lime wrapped in green leaves.
Jerry of the Islands | Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for betel nut

betel nut

noun

the seed of the betel palm, chewed with betel leaves and lime by people in S and SE Asia as a digestive stimulant and narcotic

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

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