shittah

[ shit-uh ]

noun

, plural shit·tim [shit, -im], shit·tahs.

1. a tree, said to be an acacia, probably Acacia seyal, that yielded the shittim wood of the Old Testament.

shittah

/ ˈʃɪtə /

noun

1. a tree mentioned in the Old Testament, thought to be either of two Asian acacias, Acacia seyal or A. tortilis, having close-grained yellow-brown wood

Word History and Origins

Origin of shittah¹

First recorded in 1605–15, shittah is from the Hebrew word shiṭṭāh

Word History and Origins

Origin of shittah¹

C17: from Hebrew shittāh; related to Egyptian sout acacia

Example Sentences

Said a tree-dwelling holy man, bitter: “Last week geeks came to fix my transmitter, But I misunderstood When they told me I should Stick the aerial up in my shittah.”

From Washington Post

On a hill rising gradually from beyond the harbor stood the royal palace of Antipas, its polished marble gleaming through the tops of palms and the lace-like green of shittah trees.

From Project Gutenberg