babassu

[ bah-buh-soo ]

noun

1. a palm, Orbignya barbosiana, of northeastern Brazil, bearing nuts that yield babassu oil.

babassu

/ ˌbɑːbəˈsuː /

noun

1. a Brazilian palm tree, Orbignya martiana (or O. speciosa ), having hard edible nuts that yield an oil used in making soap, margarine, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of babassu¹

1920–25; < Portuguese babaçú < Tupi, equivalent to ybá fruit + guasu large

Word History and Origins

Origin of babassu¹

from Portuguese babaçú , from a native Amerindian word

Example Sentences

Subsidies for products that come from the forest would help, too; for example, making traditional oil from babassu palm more competitive with soy oil from Brazil’s vast plantations.

From Seattle Times

Key ingredients include frankincense, sage and babassu oil.

From Los Angeles Times

N. gardneri mushrooms growing on the base of a young babassu palm in northeastern Brazil.

From Newsweek

He said a low point came during the survival phase when some soldiers staved off hunger by eating the larvae found on the babassu coconut tree.

From New York Times