carnauba

American  

[kahr-nou-buh, -naw-, -noo-] / kɑrˈnaʊ bə, -ˈnɔ-, -ˈnu- /

noun

1. a palm, Copernicia prunifera, of Brazil, having palmate leaves covered with wax.

2. Also called carnauba wax.  the hard, lustrous wax obtained from the leaves of this tree, used as a polish or floor wax.

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carnauba British  

/ kɑːˈnaʊbə /

noun

1. Also called: wax palm.  a Brazilian fan palm, Copernicia cerifera

2. Also called: carnauba wax.  the wax obtained from the young leaves of this tree, used esp as a polish

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Etymology

Origin of carnauba

1850–55; < Brazilian Portuguese < Tupi karanaʾiwa

Example Sentences

The authorities say the high level of informality in the industry makes tracing the carnauba wax back to big companies a difficult task.

From BBC

Standard American chocolate sprinkles have almost no chocolate, and are coated with carnauba wax, harvested from leaves of Brazilian carnauba palms.

From Seattle Times

People allergic to propolis may also react to balsam of Peru, carnauba wax or fragrances.

From Seattle Times

According to a now-archived blog post by the university, after an hour, "all that remained in the beaker was a pair of brown carnauba wax eyes floating in a purple Phenol soup."

From Salon

The company said it had helped start an initiative to improve working conditions in production of carnauba wax, and now uses only beeswax.

From New York Times