betel nut


noun
  1. the astringent kernel of the seed of the betel palm, chewed in many tropical regions in combination with slaked lime and the leaves of the betel plant.

Origin of betel nut

1
First recorded in 1675–85
  • Also called areca nut.

Words Nearby betel nut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use betel nut in a sentence

  • Two or three boys awoke and watched him while they prepared and chewed betel nut and lime wrapped in green leaves.

    Jerry of the Islands | Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for betel nut

betel nut

noun
  1. the seed of the betel palm, chewed with betel leaves and lime by people in S and SE Asia as a digestive stimulant and narcotic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012