betel nut

American  

noun

1. 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.

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betel nut British  

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of betel nut

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

The water is poured in gourds and placed alongside five betel nuts and five betel leaves — four for the rivers and one for the sacred forest.

From Seattle Times

Paan, a betel nut leaf with slaked lime, rose petal jam and mouth fresheners like cardamom and cloves, has fascinated South Asians for centuries.

From BBC

Chewing on a betel nut, his teeth stained blood red, the man insisted he was a boat owner, not a smuggler.

From Washington Post

His family, along with the rest of the village, caught the virus from workers at a nearby factory for betel nuts, a local Hunan delicacy.

From New York Times

Sometimes plain and phlegmy, sometimes blood red from chewing tobacco-laced betel nut or paan, it decorates simple walls and mighty edifices alike.

From BBC