quebracho (redirected from quebrachos)

que·bra·cho  (k-bräch)

n. pl. que·bra·chos

1. Either of two South American trees, Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco whose bark is used in medicine, or Schinopsis lorentzii whose wood is one of the richest sources of tannin.

2. The bark or wood of either of these trees.

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[Spanish, alteration of quiebrahacha : quebrar, to break (from Latin crepre, to crack) + hacha, ax (from French hache, from Old French, of Germanic origin).]

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quebracho [keɪˈbrɑːtʃəʊ (Spanish) keˈβratʃo]

n pl -chos [-tʃəʊz (Spanish) -tʃos]

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) either of two anacardiaceous South American trees, Schinopsis lorentzii or S. balansae, having a tannin-rich hard wood used in tanning and dyeing

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) an apocynaceous South American tree, Aspidosperma quebrachoblanco, whose bark yields alkaloids used in medicine and tanning

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Forestry) the wood or bark of any of these trees

4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of various other South American trees having hard wood

[from American Spanish, from quiebracha, from quebrar to break (from Latin crepāre to rattle) + hacha axe (from French hache)]