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.
1830–40, < Mexican Spanish mezquite < Nahuatl mizquitl
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The corner of the yard, shaded by mesquite and shoestring willows, had fallen conspicuously quiet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Birds sing among dense copses of mesquite trees; flowers hang heavily from bushes; ocelots and jaguars pass through.
From Slate ● May 26, 2025
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 ● May 26, 2024
You just want the taste of mesquite smoke and sea salt on this thick, juicy cut.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 26, 2024
I could cut a branch as thick as my little finger off a green mesquite with it.
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
Judy Moreland, of Mesquite, Texas, isn’t happy that her Medicare Advantage plan will no longer be offered next year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The No. 2 company on the list, Hithium, opened a factory last year in Mesquite, Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The new General Dynamics facility in Mesquite, Texas, will make 30,000 each month once it reaches its full capacity.
From New York Times ● May 29, 2024
That’s testament to Hare, who came to the school this season after coaching Mesquite High School of Gilbert, Ariz., to a pair of Class 4A state titles in 2019 and 2020.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2023
The Mesquite trees, with attenuated leaves and gracefully drooping pods, adorn all the parks of the city, the beans forming a delicious dish either cooked or raw.
From The World As I Have Found It Sequel to Incidents in the Life of a Blind Girl by Mary L. Day
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
