manchineel

[ man-chuh-neel ]

noun

1. a tropical American tree or shrub, Hippomane mancinella, of the spurge family, having a milky, highly caustic, poisonous sap.

manchineel

/ ˌmæntʃɪˈniːl /

noun

1. a tropical American euphorbiaceous tree, Hippomane mancinella, having fruit and milky highly caustic poisonous sap, which causes skin blisters

Word History and Origins

Origin of manchineel¹

1620–30; earlier mancinell, mançanilla < French mancenille and its source, Spanish manzanilla, diminutive of manzana apple, Old Spanish mazana < Latin ( māla ) Matiāna (apples) of Matius Roman author of a cooking manual (1st century b.c.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of manchineel¹

C17: via French from Spanish manzanilla

Example Sentences

“It’s the manchineel tree,” Captain Smith says when things have quieted down.

From Literature

We had eaten the fruit of the manchineel, the world’s deadliest tree.

From The New Yorker

You allow Celeste and James to survive their manchineel intake with a little burning sensation and vomiting—nothing too serious.

From The New Yorker

When I was researching the manchineel online, I found some pretty terrifying message boards and read about people who had eaten several whole fruits, even one young woman who had to have a pacemaker installed after eating the apple.

From The New Yorker

But such experiences are not that uncommon as vacations go, so it wasn’t until I discovered the prune de Cythère and its strange kinship with the manchineel that I saw the rough outlines of a story.

From The New Yorker