calaba

[ kuh-lah-buh ]

noun

1. a tree, Calophyllum brasiliense, of the West Indies and Central and South America, having leathery leaves and fragrant white flowers.
2. the reddish wood of this tree.

Word History and Origins

Origin of calaba¹

First recorded in 1745–55; from Colonial Spanish, from Carib; compare Galibi calaba, carapa “oil”

Example Sentences

Calophyllum calaba.—This is called calaba tree in the West Indies, and an oil, fit for burning, is expressed from the seeds.

From Project Gutenberg