pituri

American

[pich-uh-ree] / ˈpɪtʃ ə ri /

noun

a solanaceous shrub or small tree, Duboisia hopwoodi, of Australia.
a stimulant made from the dried leaves and twigs of this plant, used by Aboriginal peoples as a narcotic.

pituri British

/ ˈpɪtʃərɪ /

noun

an Australian solanaceous shrub, Duboisia hopwoodii, the leaves of which are the source of a narcotic used by the native Australians

"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 pituri

First recorded in 1860–65, pituri is from the Wiradjuri word pi-ju-rī

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.

During this excursion Kennedy noticed that the blacks were given to "chewing tobacco in a green state;" but the "tobacco" was, of course, the pituri plant, which they are accustomed to masticate.

From The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work by Favenc, Ernest

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