sterculia

American  

[stur-kyoo-lee-uh] / stɜrˈkju li ə /

noun

1. any of various tropical trees of the genus Sterculia, of which some species are grown as ornamentals and some are the source of commercially valuable wood.

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sterculia British  

/ stɜːˈkjuːlɪə /

noun

1. a dietary fibre used as a food stabilizer and denture adhesive. It is the dried gum tapped from the trunk and stems of the tree Sterculia urens , native to Central India and Pakistan

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Etymology

Origin of sterculia

1765–75; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin Stercul ( us ) a Roman deity supposed to have invented manuring (derivative of stercus manure, excrement) + ia -ia; from the fetid odor of the blossoms of certain species

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sterculia

At 3.30 p.m. entered a dense scrub of small crooked eucalypti and acacia, with a few sterculia.

From Journals of Australian Explorations by Gregory, Augustus Charles

The country was well grassed and openly wooded with box, sterculia, leguminous ironbark, and terminalia.

From Journals of Australian Explorations by Gregory, Augustus Charles

The trees thin and chiefly cypress, with occasionally a large sterculia, but no water whatever: at the ninth mile we entered a very thick eucalyptus brush, overrun with creepers and prickly acacia bushes.

From Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales by Oxley, John

We resumed our journey at 6.25 a.m., steering an east-south-east course, but after crossing some fine grassy ironbark ridges, entered a dense scrub of acacia, sterculia, bauhinia, and thorny shrubs.

From Journals of Australian Explorations by Gregory, Augustus Charles

Near Cura we found all the people occupied in clearing the ground covered with mimosa, sterculia, and Coccoloba excoriata, for the purpose of extending the cultivation of cotton.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Ross, Thomasina