tolu

[ taw-loo, tuh- ]

/ tɔˈlu, tə- /

noun

Also called tolu balsam, balsam of tolu, tolu resin. a fragrant, yellowish-brown balsam or resin obtained from a South American leguminous tree, Myroxylon balsamum, and used in medicine as a stomachic and expectorant, and in perfumery.

the tree itself.

Nearby words

Origin of tolu

First recorded in 1665–75; after Tolú (now Santiago de Tolú) in Colombia, where balsam is obtained

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tolu

Compound tincture of camphor, syrup of poppies, and syrup of tolu, of each equal parts.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
She had the Scrivano of Tolu aboard her, with eleven men and one woman.
On the Spanish Main|John Masefield
It is used in perfumery and in the manufacture of pastilles, also for flavoring confectionery, as in Tolu lozenges.
Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture|William Saunders
The Lion remained at sea for a few days, when she captured a frigate laden with "maize, hens, and pompions from Tolu."
On the Spanish Main|John Masefield

Rubber, copaiba, tolu, and vegetable ivory are gathered by Indians from the forests.
Commercial Geography|Jacques W. Redway

British Dictionary definitions for tolu

tolu

/ (tɒˈluː) /

noun

an aromatic balsam obtained from a South American tree, Myroxylon balsamumSee balsam (def. 1)

Word Origin for tolu

C17: after Santiago de Tolu, Colombia, from which it was exported

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012