areca

noun

: any of several tropical Asian palms (Areca or related genera)
especially : betel palm

Examples of areca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Local farmers are also protected from imports and smuggling of substandard Indonesian areca nuts via the Bangladesh and Myanmar borders. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 18 Jan. 2022 Guests first enter the restaurant by way of a sandy path that snakes through a garden of fragrant copal, guayacán and areca trees. New York Times, 4 Aug. 2022 In the early 1990s, India produced under 250,000 tonnes of areca nuts, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 18 Jan. 2022 Their claims are, however, backed up by the National Health Commission, which has included areca nut in its recommended prescription for the pneumonia-like illness. Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2020 Betel quid and areca nuts -- which are often used in Southeast Asia for tooth cleaning -- stain the teeth and gums. Josefine Hirschfeld, CNN, 9 July 2019 His company, Prakritii, makes plates and bowls from the leaves of south India’s areca palm trees. Washington Post, 4 June 2018 His company, Prakritii, makes plates and bowls from the leaves of south India's areca palm trees. The Christian Science Monitor, 4 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Portuguese, from Malayalam aṭaykka

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of areca was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near areca

Cite this Entry

“Areca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/areca. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

areca

noun
1
capitalized : a small genus of pinnate-leaved palms of tropical Asia having thick-rinded fruits and including the betel palm
2
: a palm of the genus Areca or of any of several related genera
especially : betel palm
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