upas

[ yoo-puh s ]

/ ˈyu pəs /

noun

the poisonous milky sap of a large tree, Antiaris toxicaria, of the mulberry family, native to tropical Asia, Africa, and the Philippine Islands, used for arrow poison.

the tree itself.

Nearby words

up-to-the-minute, up., upalong, upanishad, upanishads, upas, upaya, upbear, upbeat, upbound, upbraid

Origin of upas

1775–85; < Javanese: poison, especially dart poison

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

Examples from the Web for upas

By-the-bye, I discovered that the deadly qualities of the upas tree are very much exaggerated.
Mark Seaworth|William H.G. Kingston
He wondered whether there was a Upas tree in that humble home.
The Upas Tree|Florence L. Barclay
The church lent its influence to the rancor and bitterness of a prejudice as deadly as the sap of the Upas.
The Black Phalanx|Joseph T. Wilson
A Upas tree and a Christmas-tree could hardly find place in the same home.
The Upas Tree|Florence L. Barclay

Such things are the natural fruits of the Secession tree, which is as poisonous as the upas and as productive as the palm.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. IX., March, 1862., No. LIII.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for upas

upas

/ (ˈjuːpəs) /

noun

a large moraceous tree of Java, Antiaria toxicaria, having whitish bark and poisonous milky sap

the sap of this tree, used as an arrow poison

Also: antiar

Word Origin for upas

C19: from Malay: poison

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