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

---

Etymology

Origin of sumach

C14: via Old French from Arabic summāq

Example Sentences

Unfortunately our salt was now out, and the same with our tobacco, while we could not expect to find in these mountains any sumach leaves which we could smoke.

From The Backwoodsman or, Life on the Indian Frontier by Various

"A sumach of the Atlantic States extending through Eastern and Southern Texas to the Rio Grande."

From Texas Honey Plants by Sanborn, C. E.

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

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

Wood dyes are obtained by boiling and distilling such woods as sumach, logwood, red sanders, and fustic.

From Wood and Forest by Noyes, William