areca

[ uh-ree-kuh, ar-i- ]

noun

1. any tropical Asian palm of the genus Areca, as the betel palm.

areca

/ ˈærɪkə; əˈriːkə /

noun

1. any of various tall palms of the genus Areca, which are native to SE Asia and have white flowers and orange or red egg-shaped nuts

Word History and Origins

Origin of areca¹

First recorded in 1500–10; from New Latin (earlier English spellings reflect Portuguese or French ); all ultimately from Malayalam aṭaykka

Word History and Origins

Origin of areca¹

C16: from Portuguese, from Malayalam adekka

Example Sentences

This set them on the wide path that led into the spacious circular compound of cobbled ground under the spreading areca nut tree, ringed with the houses of the village elders.

From Literature

A recent video which went viral involved making ice cream out of gutka - a chewing tobacco made of areca nut and slaked lime.

From BBC

The first victim was a small landholder growing bananas and areca nuts in the Kozhikode village of Maruthonkara, said a government official who retraced the movement of that person to track down all people he could have interacted with and the places he visited before his health started to deteriorate.

From Reuters

The packaging company manufactures eco-friendly products, such as corrugated packaging, from fallen areca palm leaves and is valued at £48m.

From BBC

Now I brought out the stores I had put by month after month—rice and dhal and ghee, jars of oil, betel leaf, areca nuts, chewing tobacco and copra.

From Literature