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poon

[poon]
noun
  1. any of several East Indian trees of the genus Calophyllum, that yield a light, hard wood used for masts, spars, etc.
  2. the wood of these trees.
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Origin of poon

1690–1700; compare Tamil punnai, pinnai, Malayalam punna names for Calophyllum inophyllum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for poon

Historical Examples

  • Breaking a thick branch off a poon tree he whittled away the minor stems.

    The Wings of the Morning

    Louis Tracy

  • The rifle was fired by means of the string, the loose coils of which were secreted at the foot of the poon.

British Dictionary definitions for poon

poon1

noun
  1. any of several trees of the SE Asian genus Calophyllum having lightweight hard wood and shiny leathery leaves: family Clusiaceae
  2. the wood of any of these trees, used to make masts and spars
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Word Origin

C17: from Singhalese pūna

poon2

noun
  1. Australian slang a stupid or ineffectual person
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Word Origin

C20: from English dialect
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