mesquite

noun

mes·​quite mə-ˈskēt How to pronounce mesquite (audio)
me-
: any of several spiny leguminous trees or shrubs (genus Prosopis and especially P. glandulosa) chiefly of the southwestern U.S. that often form extensive thickets and have sweet pods eaten by livestock
also : the wood of the mesquite used especially in grilling food

Illustration of mesquite

Illustration of mesquite
  • 1 flower and leaves
  • 2 pod

Examples of mesquite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Plazas and courtyards contain feathery mesquite and blue-green palo verde trees and employ brickwork that blends with the buildings themselves. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Corn grilled over mesquite and served under a blanket of lime-chile mayonnaise and a dusting of queso cotija and cilantro, this is probably the messiest appetizer on the menu, but totally worth it for the tart, sweet-savory flavors. Felicia Campbell, The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2024 About 100 native trees, including desert willows, ironwoods and mesquite, were donated by a local nursery and planted. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Travelers were also welcome in the villages themselves, where the river provided shady, cool oases lined with cottonwoods, willows and mesquite. Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023 The meat is smoky and just slightly charred from the mesquite, and the chiles are spicy and just a bit chewy. Javier Cabral, Bon Appétit, 21 July 2023 Elsewhere along the river, the program supports tree farming for native species that require cottonwoods, willows or honey mesquites, species that were largely crowded out by nonnative tamarisks, after the dams started regulating flows last century. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 30 June 2023 While Flores watches the birria, Garcia often grills cabrito over mesquite, tumbling the cleaved, crackly meat into tortillas. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023 Whiskey Del Bac, a distillery in Tucson, Ariz., is one of several in the Southwest to use mesquite instead of the traditional peat to smoke its barley. Clay Risen, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mesquite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, from Nahuatl mizquitl

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mesquite was in 1759

Dictionary Entries Near mesquite

Cite this Entry

“Mesquite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesquite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mesquite

noun
mes·​quite mə-ˈskēt How to pronounce mesquite (audio)
me-
: a thorny deep-rooted tree or shrub of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that belongs to the legume family, produces pods rich in sugar, and is important as food for livestock
also : the wood of the mesquite used especially in grilling food

Geographical Definition

Mesquite

geographical name

Mes·​quite mə-ˈskēt How to pronounce Mesquite (audio)
me-
city in northeastern Texas east of Dallas population 139,824

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