carnauba
Americannoun
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a palm, Copernicia prunifera, of Brazil, having palmate leaves covered with wax.
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Also called carnauba wax. the hard, lustrous wax obtained from the leaves of this tree, used as a polish or floor wax.
noun
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Also called: wax palm. a Brazilian fan palm, Copernicia cerifera
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Also called: carnauba wax. the wax obtained from the young leaves of this tree, used esp as a polish
Etymology
Origin of carnauba
1850–55; < Brazilian Portuguese < Tupi karanaʾiwa
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The carnauba palm's nickname in the Tupi indigenous language is the tree of thorns.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2024
People allergic to propolis may also react to balsam of Peru, carnauba wax or fragrances.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2023
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 ● Feb. 2, 2023
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 ● Apr. 25, 2022
Jequirity seeds were found to have a stronger decomposing action on lanoline and carnauba wax than the castor seed, but only caused decomposition of castor oil after the initial acidity was first neutralised with alkali.
From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by W. H. Simmons
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