sumach
Britishnoun
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any temperate or subtropical shrub or small tree of the anacardiaceous genus Rhus, having compound leaves, clusters of green flowers, and red hairy fruits See also poison sumach
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a preparation of powdered leaves of certain species of Rhus, esp R. coriaria, used in dyeing and tanning
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the wood of any of these plants
Etymology
Origin of sumach
C14: via Old French from Arabic summāq
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.
Flaming patches of sumach adorn the edges of the rocky spots that occasionally occurred in the picture.
From The Land of Lure A Story of the Columbia River Basin by Smith, Elliott
The banks on either side were clothed with overhanging woods, of the sumach, maple, tamarisk, birch, in all the rich yet delicate array of the fresh opening year.
From Sketches in Canada, and rambles among the red men by Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)
The vineyards on either side of the road were hung with purple clusters, the maples were giving the first hints of their autumn colouring; the sumach was already flaming.
From I Walked in Arden by Crawford, Jack
By certain traits we may always know, with absolute certainty, a poison sumach when we find it.
From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen
The brilliant sunshine made every smallest detail clear and sharp—boulders of granite, burned stems, crimson sumach, pebbles along the shore in neat, separate detail—without revealing where the watcher hid.
From The Wolves of God And Other Fey Stories by Blackwood, Algernon
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.
