shea
Americannoun
noun
-
a tropical African sapotaceous tree, Butyrospermum parkii, with oily seeds
-
the white butter-like fat obtained from the seeds of this plant and used as food, to make soaps, etc
Etymology
Origin of shea
1799; said to be < Bambara si ( shea is Mungo Park's spelling)
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.
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
Nigeria has announced a six-month ban on the export of raw shea nuts from which many beauty creams are made.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025
"The productivity has gone down. The trees are not flowering and fruiting the way they used to. Rain fluctuation has disrupted the shea tree's natural cycles," he said.
From BBC ● May 1, 2025
She breathed in deep and, despite the unfamiliar clothes, could still smell her mother’s scent, shea butter lotion and a hint of pencil lead.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
