shea

American  

[shee, shey] / ʃi, ʃeɪ /

noun

1. shea tree.

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shea British  

/ ˈʃɪə /

noun

1. a tropical African sapotaceous tree, Butyrospermum parkii, with oily seeds

2. the white butter-like fat obtained from the seeds of this plant and used as food, to make soaps, etc

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Etymology

Origin of shea

1799; said to be < Bambara si ( shea is Mungo Park's spelling)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shea

In the heart of the Yopougon industrial zone on the outskirts of the capital Abidjan, women working on a production line fill thousands of bottles of shea butter-based cosmetics.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Flamingo Estate blends anti-inflammatory and skin-restoring manuka honey with hydrating lanolin and shea butter for an ultra-rich yet cloud-like cream that you can use on your hands or anywhere that needs some extra love.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025

The move is aimed at making the trade more lucrative as Nigeria is losing out by not producing much shea butter locally.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

This loss, combined with the poor harvests, has had a direct impact on people like Mariam Chandiru, a local shea butter producer for many years in the northern town of Koboko.

From BBC ● May 1, 2025

Then, one night while Mama was rubbing shea butter mixed with hot pepper into Papa’s swollen joints, I overheard a conversation between them, and understood.

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince