sumach

British  

/ ˈʃuː-, ˈsuːmæk /

noun

1. 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

2. a preparation of powdered leaves of certain species of Rhus, esp R. coriaria, used in dyeing and tanning

3. the wood of any of these plants

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Etymology

Origin of sumach

C14: via Old French from Arabic summāq

Example Sentences

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

The sumach family contains more than fifty genera, confined for the most part to the warmer regions of the globe.

From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen

Its leaves are the most beautiful in the sumach family.

From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen

In a corner of the hearth grew a sumach that bid fair in a short time to overtop all that was left of the chimney.

From Pencil Sketches or, Outlines of Character and Manners by Leslie, Eliza

To some persons the action of the sumach poison is virulent, causing painful itching eruptions similar to those caused by poison ivy.

From Woodcraft or, How a Patrol Leader Made Good by Douglas, Alan