n.
A rubbery substance derived from the latex of any of several tropical trees of the genera Palaquium and Payena, used as an electrical insulator, as a waterproofing compound, and in golf balls.
[Malay getah perca : getah, sap + perca, strip of cloth (from Hindi pārcā , from Persian pārche , probably diminutive of pāre , from Middle Persian pārang).]
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.
