upas

American  

[yoo-puhs] / ˈyu pəs /

noun

1. the poisonous milky sap of a large tree, Antiaris toxicaria, of the mulberry family, native to tropical Asia, Africa, and the Philippine Islands, used for arrow poison.

2. the tree itself.

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upas British  

/ ˈjuːpəs /

noun

1. a large moraceous tree of Java, Antiaria toxicaria, having whitish bark and poisonous milky sap

2. the sap of this tree, used as an arrow poison

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Etymology

Origin of upas

1775–85; < Javanese: poison, especially dart poison

Example Sentences

From upas to coco de mer, an arboreal odyssey.

From Nature • Jun. 5, 2018

Another was that Britain's tax, although set upas an import duty, seemed in effect an income tax�and therefore in violation of an Anglo-American agreement designed to prevent double taxation on incomes.

From Time Magazine Archive

But next day again the venerable Lokman passed by, and he saw that the tree was a upas tree and the sleepers were dead.

From A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 To the Close of the 19th Century by Saintsbury, George

She had added the spreading peach of a liberal education to the deadly upas of Benson genealogy and the sturdy old chestnut of mama’s experience.

From 'Charge It' Keeping Up With Harry by Bacheller, Irving

As she spoke Agnes bent over the helpless woman, and shed her glances over that pale face, as the upas tree weeps poison.

From Mabel's Mistake by Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)