sumac

noun

variants or less commonly sumach
1
: any of a genus (Rhus) of trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the cashew family that have leaves turning to brilliant colors in the autumn, small usually dioecious flowers, and spikes or loose clusters of red or whitish berries compare poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac
2
: a material used in tanning and dyeing that consists of dried powdered leaves and flowers of various sumacs
3
: the tart dried and ground red berries of several sumacs (such as Rhus coriaria) used as a spice especially in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking

Examples of sumac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Second course: Ancho rubbed roasted root vegetables, lemon garlic hummus, sumac peanuts, lemon and herbs. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 14 Oct. 2024 Late-night bites run the gamut from smoky escargot with arak butter to kebab steak au poivre—an aged New York strip grilled over coals with sumac onions and an herb salad. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2024 Acres of terraced growing areas and multiple greenhouses produced many native plants grown from seed collected around the park such as sumacs, ceanothus, yellow-blooming flannel bush, manzanitas, barberries, monkeyflowers, Catalina cherry, toyon and coffeeberry. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 Poison Sumac Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) grows in the Eastern U.S. and Canada in fields, woods, and where yards meet wild areas. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sumac 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sumac.' 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

Middle English sumac, from Anglo-French, ultimately from Arabic summāq

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of sumac was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sumac

Cite this Entry

“Sumac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumac. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sumac

noun
su·​mac
variants also sumach
ˈsü-ˌmak How to pronounce sumac (audio)
ˈshü-
1
: a material used in tanning and dyeing made of the leaves and other parts of sumac
2
: any of a genus of trees, shrubs, and woody vines related to the cashew and having leaves turning to brilliant colors in autumn, spikes or loose clusters of red or whitish berries, and in some cases leaves or berries that are irritating to the skin compare poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac

Medical Definition

sumac

noun
su·​mac
variants also sumach
: any of various plants of the genus Rhus including several (as poison sumac) having foliage poisonous to the touch compare poison ivy, poison oak

More from Merriam-Webster on sumac

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