neem

American

[neem] / nim /

a product of the seeds of a tropical tree, Azadirachta indica, of the mahogany family, that disrupts reproduction in insects, used as an insecticide.
Also called nim tree, margosa. Also called neem tree,. the tree itself.

neem British

/ niːm /

noun

a large tree of India, Azadirachta indica , all parts of which are useful to man: the leaves act as a natural pesticide, the fruit and seeds yield a medicinal oil, the bark is used to make a tonic, and the trunk exudes a gum

"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

Etymology

Origin of neem

1805–15; < Hindi nīm < Sanskrit nimba

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.

They said we had an unidentified pest and pointed us to the neem oil.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

The sauce entrepreneur is in a reflective mood as she tries to cool down in the shade of a towering neem tree near her home in Kpone Katamanso district, southern Ghana.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2022

Keep your eyes out for spotted, wilting leaves, and if you see them, peel them off and spray the plant with minimally toxic neem oil, he advised.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2022

"Some plants don't want neem oil on their foliage, and for those, I just use water and microfiber gloves," he says.

From Salon • May 8, 2022

I chanted in my head as I rushed to the first neem tree on the path.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023