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, 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.

See Examples For:

neem

When there are power cuts in the afternoon, relief comes from the shade of a neem tree.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

Should your plant get those pesky spider mites, by the way, Husain suggests giving it a healthy dousing of water, then individually removing the mites using neem oil or soapy water.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 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

Rani doesn't have tooth powder, but she shows me how to brush my teeth with a fresh twig from a neem tree.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

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