guaiacum

(gwīə kəm)

noun

  1. any of a genus (Guaiacum) of trees of the caltrop family native to tropical America, with blue or purple flowers and fruit growing in capsules
  2. the hard, dense wood of any of these trees
  3. guaiac (sense )

Origin: ModL < Sp guayaco < Taino guayacan

See guaiacum in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A tree of the genus Guaiacum; a lignum vitae.
  2. also guai·ac (gwīˈăkˌ)
    a. The wood of a guaiacum.
    b. A greenish-brown resin obtained from this tree, used medicinally and in varnishes.

Origin:

Origin: New Latin

Origin: , from Spanish guayacán

Origin: , from Taino

.

Learn more about guaiacum

link/cite print suggestion box