mesquite

¹ American  

[me-skeet, mes-keet] / mɛˈskit, ˈmɛs kit /

Or mesquit

noun

1. 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.

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

3. any of various similar or related plants.

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Mesquite ² American  

[me-skeet, mi-] / mɛˈskit, mɪ- /

noun

1. a city in NE Texas, E of Dallas.

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mesquite British  

/ mɛˈskiːt, ˈmɛskiːt /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of mesquite

1830–40, < Mexican Spanish mezquite < Nahuatl mizquitl

Example Sentences

It’s three miles from there to State Route 92, a trek through mesquite and grassland, floodplains and furrows that serve as a rough-hewn pathway to the two-lane blacktop and the interior that lies beyond.

From Los Angeles Times

Adding natural smoke flavorings derived from hickory or mesquite can also give alternative meats a similar aroma.

From Salon

La Casa looms above a mostly flat landscape dotted with mesquite bushes.

From Los Angeles Times

It would also go well with a grilled steak or another fatty meat with mesquite aroma.

From Seattle Times

California’s groundwater-dependent ecosystems lie not only along streams, but also in habitats such as mountain meadows, coastal redwood forests and mesquite bushes among desert sand dunes.

From Los Angeles Times