ailanthus Hear it!

ailanthus definition

ailan·thus (ā lan′t̸həs)

noun pl. ailanthuses -·thuses

any tree or shrub of a genus (Ailanthus) of the quassia family, having pointed leaflets, fine-grained wood, and clusters of small, greenish flowers with an unpleasant odor

Etymology: ModL, altered (by assoc. with Gr anthos, flower) < ai lanit, lit., tree of heaven, the name in a language of Moluccas, Indonesia

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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