mesquite

or mes·quit

[ me-skeet, mes-keet ]

/ mɛˈskit, ˈmɛs kit /

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noun

any of several usually spiny trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Prosopis, of the legume family, as P. juliflora or P. glandulosa, of western North America, having bipinnate leaves and beanlike pods and often forming dense thickets.

the wood of such a tree or shrub, used especially in grilling or barbecuing food.

any of various similar or related plants.

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Origin of mesquite

1830–40, Americanism;<Mexican Spanish mezquite<Nahuatl mizquitl

Words nearby mesquite

mesovarium, mesovortex, Mesozoa, mesozoan, Mesozoic, mesquite, mess, mess about, message, message board, message center

Other definitions for mesquite (2 of 2)

Mesquite

[ me-skeet, mi- ]

/ mɛˈskit, mɪ- /

noun

a city in NE Texas, E of Dallas.

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

How to use mesquite in a sentence

The PGA Tour’s leader in driving distance, DeChambeau will test his mettle against big-bopping specialists at the Professional Long Drivers Association World Championship in Mesquite, Nev.
Bryson DeChambeau to test his long-driving mettle in professional event after Ryder Cup|Des Bieler|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
The singed ruffles on the gem lettuce are thanks to their pass over burning apple wood and mesquite in a mesh wire pan.
A Potomac view meets polished cooking at Ada’s on the River in Alexandria|Tom Sietsema|March 26, 2021|Washington Post
Mistletoes on mesquite trees in central Mexico have been linked to a greater abundance of tropical bird species.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The media really started to pay attention when someone died in 2011,” said Kenny Fritch, a 28-year-old from Mesquite, Texas.
A Report From the Misunderstood Gathering of the Juggalos|Steve Miller|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Its handle, she notes, was made from a mesquite tree in her back yard.
Holy Molé: Tucson’s Mexican Food with a Kick|Jane & Michael Stern|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ST: At my house, cooked on my Big Green Egg over lump charcoal and mesquite.
Scott Turow: How I Write|Noah Charney|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Bowser also volunteered as an assistant coach for the West Mesquite High School football team from 2007 and 2008.
Erbie Bowser: A ‘Gentle Giant’ Who Snapped|Christine Pelisek|August 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Suddenly, in the darkness, rider and pony crashed into a dense mesquite thicket.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
The mesquite was still full of stragglers dashing wildly here and there.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
Once a plunging steer hit the lad a glancing blow with its great side, hurling him into a thicket of bristling mesquite.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
Its possession made life warmer; and it was good to see it lying in front of her open fire of mesquite roots.
The Second Latchkey|Charles Norris Williamson and Alice Muriel Williamson
One afternoon, while they were riding through a dense mesquite flat, they came upon a patch of open hog-wallow prairie.
Sixes and Sevens|O. Henry

British Dictionary definitions for mesquite

mesquite

mesquit

/ (mɛˈskiːt, ˈmɛskiːt) /

noun

any small leguminous tree of the genus Prosopis, esp the tropical American P. juliflora, whose sugary pods (mesquite beans) are used as animal fodderAlso called: algarroba, honey locust, honey mesquite

Word Origin for mesquite

C19: from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mizquitl

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