logwood

American  

[lawg-wood, log-] / ˈlɔgˌwʊd, ˈlɒg- /

noun

1. the heavy, brownish-red heartwood of a West Indian and Central American tree, Haematoxylon campechianum, of the legume family, used in dyeing.

2. the tree itself.

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logwood British  

/ ˈlɒɡˌwʊd /

noun

1. a leguminous tree, Haematoxylon campechianum, of the Caribbean and Central America

2. the heavy reddish-brown wood of this tree, yielding the dye haematoxylin See also haematoxylon

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Etymology

Origin of logwood

First recorded in 1575–85; log ¹ + wood ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

logwood

Campeche was colonized by Spain in the 16th century; over the next 100 years, as trade in logwood dye created wealth, it was under constant attack by pirates, many hailing from Spain’s arch enemy, England.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 1, 2022

Its location also made it a commercial centre as well; merchants traded slaves, sugar and logwood.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2012

In the next cruise they captured some Spanish and New England vessels, and one laden with logwood.

From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume III (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Walter Thornbury

The natural productions are very numerous; medicinal plants and many valuable woods, as mahogany, ebony, logwood, and cedar, abound in the forests.

From Alden's Handy Atlas of the World by John B. Alden

To avoid this irksome imprisonment to a plot of sugar canes, many of the English freebooters joined their brethren at Tortuga, or turned cow-killers and logwood cutters in the Bay of Campeachy.

From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume III (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Walter Thornbury

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