sumac

Or su·mach

[soo-mak, shoo-]

noun

1. any of several shrubs or small trees belonging to the genus Rhus of the cashew family, having milky sap, compound leaves, and small, fleshy fruit.

2. a preparation of the dried and powdered leaves, bark, etc., of certain species of Rhus, especially R. coriaria of southern Europe, used especially in tanning.

3. the wood of these trees.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sumac¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Medieval Latin < Arabic summāq

Example Sentences

“Recipes From the American South” is a cookbook that I will come back to again and again for its roasts and stews, cakes and pies—and surprises like Appalachian lemonade made from sumac.

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He flips a jar of sumac between his hands like a baseball while teasing a regular, a woman in zebra-print pants with a diamond wedding ring the size of a quail’s egg.

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I share Vejar’s loathing for the relentless “tree of heaven,” the deciduous plant that is sometimes called a stinking sumac.

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“Once I started playing around with flavor combinations that I love — like rhubarb, mint, sumac and mascarpone and black and white cookies — I realized the world is our cookie salad oyster.”

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If you don’t have sumac or lemon on hand, you can even try something flashier, like balsamic, Worcestershire, fish sauce, soy sauce or the like.

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