quebracho

[ key-brah-choh; Spanish ke-vrah-chaw ]
/ keɪˈbrɑ tʃoʊ; Spanish kɛˈvrɑ tʃɔ /

noun, plural que·bra·chos [key-brah-chohz; Spanish ke-vrah-chaws] /keɪˈbrɑ tʃoʊz; Spanish kɛˈvrɑ tʃɔs/.

any of several tropical American trees of the genus Schinopsis, having very hard wood, especially S. lorentzii, the wood and bark of which are important in tanning and dyeing.
a tree, Aspidosperma quebrachoblanco, of the dogbane family, yielding a medicinal bark.
the wood or bark of any of these trees.

Origin of quebracho

1880–85; < American Spanish, variant of quiebracha, quiebra-hacha literally, (it) breaks (the) hatchet; see quebrada, hatchet

Words nearby quebracho

queasy, quebec, quebec city, quebecer, quebecker, quebracho, quebrada, quechan, quechua, quechuan, queckenstedt-stookey test

Example sentences from the Web for quebracho

British Dictionary definitions for quebracho

quebracho
/ (keɪˈbrɑːtʃəʊ, Spanish keˈβratʃo) /

noun plural -chos (-tʃəʊz, Spanish -tʃos)

either of two anacardiaceous South American trees, Schinopsis lorentzii or S. balansae, having a tannin-rich hard wood used in tanning and dyeing
an apocynaceous South American tree, Aspidosperma quebrachoblanco, whose bark yields alkaloids used in medicine and tanning
the wood or bark of any of these trees
any of various other South American trees having hard wood

Word Origin for quebracho

C19: from American Spanish, from quiebracha, from quebrar to break (from Latin crepāre to rattle) + hacha axe (from French hache)