logwood

(lôgwo̵od′)

noun

  1. the hard, brownish-red wood of a tropical tree (Haematoxylon campechianum) of the caesalpinia family, native to Central America and the West Indies: it yields a dye much used in biological stains and for dyeing fabrics
  2. this tree, having thorny branches and small, yellow flowers
  3. the dye

Origin: so called from being imported in logs

See logwood in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A spiny tropical American tree (Haematoxylon campechianum) in the pea family, having dark heartwood from which a dyestuff is obtained.
  2. The heartwood of this tree.
  3. The purplish-red dye obtained from the heartwood of this tree.

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