n.
- A spiny Asian tree (Acacia catechu) having bipinnately compound leaves, spikes of yellow flowers, and dark heartwood.
- A raw material obtained from the heartwood of this plant, used in the preparation of tannins and brown dyes. Also called cutch.
- See betel palm.
[Probably from Malay kachu, probably from Dravidian karaiyal, karaiccal, that which is dissolved, from karai, to melt.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
