quassia

American  

[kwosh-uh, -ee-uh] / ˈkwɒʃ ə, -i ə /

noun

1. a shrub or small tree, Quassia amara, of tropical America, having pinnate leaves, showy red flowers, and wood with a bitter taste.

2. any of several other trees having bitter-tasting wood.

3. Also called bitterwood. Chemistry, Pharmacology. a prepared form of the heartwood of any of these trees, used as an insecticide and in medicine as a tonic to dispel intestinal worms.

---

quassia British  

/ ˈkwɒʃə /

noun

1. any tree of the tropical American simaroubaceous genus Quassia, having bitter bark and wood

2. the bark and wood of Quassia amara and of a related tree, Picrasma excelsa, used in furniture making

3. a bitter compound extracted from this bark and wood, formerly used as a tonic and anthelmintic, now used in insecticides

---

Etymology

Origin of quassia

First recorded in 1775–80; from New Latin, named after Quassi, an 18th-century enslaved healer in the Dutch colony of Suriname who discovered its medicinal properties; see -ia

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quassia

The first of their three flavors, which include Aromatic and Dry, to come to the United States is Bitter, made with grapes, grapefruit, bay leaf, orange, oak and quassia, also known as bitterwood.

From New York Times ● Aug. 14, 2020

Peet took a sip of Aecorn Dry, a grape blend that is infused with chamomile, black tea, and quassia wood.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 19, 2019

Green fly is a great pest on young plants, and can only be kept down by fumigating or vaporizing the houses, and syringing with a solution of quassia chips, soft soap and tobacco.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 4 "Cincinnatus" to "Cleruchy" by Various

Another way is to dissolve two drams of the extract of quassia in half a pint of boiling water; and, adding a little sugar or syrup, pour the mixture upon plates.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Mary Eaton

His laugh was bitter as quassia; he turned his head toward the sound of the automobile horn that summoned him.

From A Man's Hearth by Eleanor M. (Eleanor Marie) Ingram

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---