babassu

ba·bas·su

B0001900 (bä′bə-so͞o′)n. A Brazilian feather-leaved palm (Orbignya phalerata) having hard-shelled fruits whose seeds yield an oil used in food and skin-care products and as a biofuel.

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[Portuguese babaçú, from Tupí babassú, ibabassú : ibá, fruit + -bassú, variant of -assú, -guassú, big.]

babassu

(ˌbɑːbəˈsuː) n (Plants) a Brazilian palm tree, Orbignya martiana (or O. speciosa), having hard edible nuts that yield an oil used in making soap, margarine, etc[from Portuguese babaçú, from a native Amerindian word]

ba•bas•su

(ˌbɑ bəˈsu)

n., pl. -sus. a palm, Orbignya barbosiana, of NE Brazil, bearing nuts that yield an oil used in the manufacture of soaps and cosmetics and as a cooking oil. [1920–25; < Portuguese babaçú]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

babassu - tall feather palm of northern Brazil with hard-shelled nuts yielding valuable oil and a kind of vegetable ivorybabassu palm, coco de macao, Orbignya martiana, Orbignya phalerata, Orbignya spesiosafeather palm - palm having pinnate or featherlike leavesgenus Orbignya, Orbignya - palms of southern Mexico to northern South America: babassu palmbabassu nut - hard-shelled nut of the babassu palm