sumach

su·mac also su·mach  (smk, sh-)

n.

Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus, having compound leaves, clusters of small greenish flowers, and usually red, hairy fruit. Some species, such as the poison ivy and poison oak, cause an acute itching rash on contact.

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[Middle English, preparation made from sumac, from Old French (possibly via Medieval Latin sumach), from Arabic summq, sumac tree, from Aramaic, dark red, from smaq, to be red; see smq in Semitic roots.]

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sumach US, sumac [ˈsuːmæk ˈʃuː-]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any temperate or subtropical shrub or small tree of the anacardiaceous genus Rhus, having compound leaves, clusters of green flowers, and red hairy fruits See also poison sumach

2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Dyeing) (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Tanning) a preparation of powdered leaves of certain species of Rhus, esp R. coriaria, used in dyeing and tanning

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

[via Old French from Arabic summāq]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

sumach - a shrub or tree of the genus Rhus (usually limited to the non-poisonous members of the genus) shumac, sumac genus Rhus, Rhus - deciduous or evergreen shrubs and shrubby trees of temperate and subtropical North America, South Africa, eastern Asia and northeastern Australia; usually limited to nonpoisonous sumacs (see genus Toxicodendron) sumac - wood of a sumac fragrant sumac, lemon sumac, Rhus aromatica - sweet-scented sumac of eastern America having ternate leaves and yellowish-green flowers in spikes resembling catkins followed by red hairy fruits Rhus glabra, scarlet sumac, smooth sumac, vinegar tree - common nonpoisonous shrub of eastern North America with waxy compound leaves and green paniculate flowers followed by red berries black sumac, dwarf sumac, mountain sumac, Rhus copallina, shining sumac - common nonpoisonous shrub of eastern North America with compound leaves and green paniculate flowers followed by red berries Rhus ovata, sugar sumac, sugar-bush - evergreen shrub of southeastern United States with spikes of reddish yellow flowers and glandular hairy fruits Rhus typhina, staghorn sumac, velvet sumac, vinegar tree, Virginian sumac - deciduous shrubby tree or eastern North America with compound leaves that turn brilliant red in fall and dense panicles of greenish yellow flowers followed by crimson acidic berries Rhus trilobata, skunkbush, squaw-bush, squawbush - deciduous shrub of California with unpleasantly scented usually trifoliate leaves and edible fruit bush, shrub - a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems