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arrowroot
arrowroot definition
arrow·root (-ro̵̅o̅t′, -ro̵ot′)
noun
- any of a number of tropical plants of various families with clumplike roots; esp., a West Indian plant (Maranta arundinacea) of the arrowroot family with large leaves, white flowers, and starchy roots
- an easily digestible starch derived from an arrowroot (esp. M. arundinacea)
Etymology: altered, from use as antidote for poisoned arrows < Arawakan aru-aru, lit., meal of meals
adjective
designating a family (Marantaceae, order Zingiberales) of monocotyledonous, tropical American plants
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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