acacia
pronunciation
How to pronounce acacia in British English:
UK [əˈkeɪʃə]
How to pronounce acacia in American English:
US [ əˈkeɪʃə]
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- Noun:
- any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia
Word Origin
- acacia
- acacia: [16] Acacia comes via Latin from Greek akakía, a word for the shittah. This is a tree mentioned several times in the Bible (the Ark of the Covenant was made from its wood). It is not clear precisely what it was, but it was probably a species of what we now know as the acacia. The ultimate derivation of Greek akakía is obscure too; some hold that it is based on Greek aké ‘point’ (a distant relation of English acid), from the thorniness of the tree, but others suggest that it may be a loanword from Egyptian.
- acacia (n.)
- 1540s, from Latin acacia, from Greek akakia "thorny Egyptian tree," perhaps related to Greek ake "point, thorn," from PIE root *ak- "sharp" (see acrid). Or perhaps a Hellenization of some Egyptian word. From late 14c. in English as the name of a type of gum used as an astringent, etc.
Example
- 1. Recall the past , forget the pain of the acacia .
- 2. And that the untouched acacia was a favorite ant habitat .
- 3. Elephants won 't eat acacia trees that are defended by ants .
- 4. The canopy here is a mixture of mature indian rubber trees , acacia trees and mahogany trees .
- 5. Soft cuttage propagation of acacia melanoxylon .