acacia

noun aca·cia \ ə-ˈkā-shə \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of acacia

[Middle English acacia, acacie "astringent gum made from the juice of green plums or sloes," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French acasie, acacie "juice of plums or sloes," borrowed from Medieval Latin acacia, going back to Latin "gum arabic"]

: gum arabic

2 : any of a large genus (Acacia) of leguminous shrubs and trees of warm regions with leaves pinnate or reduced to phyllodes and white or yellow flower clusters

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Recent Examples of acacia from the Web

Still other plants, like acacia, have seeds that germinate only after exposure to fire or smoke.

— c. claiborne ray, New York Times, "Why the Forest Doesn’t Fear the Fire," 22 Jan. 2018
Past the odd acacia tree and lone ostrich and pair of giraffes in the distance, rising from the ground like elegant, blinking sculptures.

— rachel levin, WSJ, "The Toughest Half-Marathon You’ll Want to Plan a Trip Around," 3 July 2018
Sliding shoji-style doors lead to an airy room with an acacia-wood floor and a sleeping loft.

— amy gamerman, WSJ, "Tree Houses for Grown-Ups," 3 May 2018
The resulting wine is fragrant, light- to medium-bodied and dry, the acacia adding floral, smoky and caramel notes to the wine’s basically citric flavor.

— mike dunne, sacbee, "Bright and intriguing wines in full bloom at these four foothill wineries | The Sacramento Bee," 9 May 2018
The remainder of the trip will be highlighted by daily walking safaris and game drives, an exclusive nighttime safari, three-course dinners of cuisine, village visits, and a picnic lunch under an acacia tree in the Savannah.

— USA TODAY, "Deal watch: Three nights in Kenya for $1,420," 24 Apr. 2018
Garden tours have been a spring and summer season favorite seemingly since early hominids first descended from the trees of a West African savannah and started rearranging acacia trees in artful patterns.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Four must-see home and garden tours to experience in Louisville this spring," 12 Apr. 2018
Residents of La Presa, a community of 300 surrounding a bluish lake at the center of town that is hidden by mesquite and sweet acacia trees, buy bottled water for drinking.

— maria sacchetti, Washington Post, "In South Texas, tens of thousands live in border enclaves without water, power or certainty of their future," 30 Jan. 2018
The women, meanwhile, were tackling even weightier subjects under a nearby acacia tree, including birth control, the role of women in the village, and female genital mutilation.

— john gurda, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "East Africa proves rich in culture and wildlife on trip of a lifetime," 26 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acacia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of acacia

borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin, "a species of Acacia, gum arabic," borrowed from Greek akakía "a plant of the Acacia genus (probably A. nilotica), acacia extract" of obscure origin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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ACACIA Defined for English Language Learners

acacia

noun

Definition of acacia for English Language Learners

: a shrub or tree that grows in warm regions and that has white or yellow flowers

Medical Dictionary

acacia

noun aca·cia \ ə-ˈkā-shə \

medical Definition of acacia

1 capitalized : a genus of woody leguminous plants of warm regions having pinnate leaves and white or yellow flower clusters — see catechu

2 : any of the genus Acacia of leguminous plants

3 : gum arabic

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acacia

Definition of acacia

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Origin and Etymology of acacia

ACACIA Defined for English Language Learners

acacia

Definition of acacia for English Language Learners

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acacia

medical Definition of acacia

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