quebracho

quebracho [key-brah-choh; Spanish ke-vrah-chaw] ExamplesWord Origin noun, plural que·bra·chos [key-brah-chohz; Spanish ke-vrah-chaws] /keɪˈbrɑ tʃoʊz; Spanish kɛˈvrɑ tʃɔs/.

1. any of several tropical American trees of the genus Schinopsis, having very hard wood, especially S. lorentzii, the wood and bark of which are important in tanning and dyeing.
2. a tree, Aspidosperma quebrachoblanco, of the dogbane family, yielding a medicinal bark.
3. the wood or bark of any of these trees.

Origin of quebracho 1880–85; American Spanish, variant of quiebracha, quiebra-hacha literally, (it) breaks (the) hatchet; see quebrada, hatchet Examples from the Web for quebracho Historical Examples of quebracho

A quebracho log will not float upon water, but will sink like iron.

Birdseye Views of Far Lands

James T. Nichols

Some, as you will see, are tanned by being suspended from a bar into a vat of quebracho.

The Story of Leather

Sara Ware Bassett

Already it competes with Colastiné for the export of quebracho.

The Argentine Republic

Pierre Denis

Oakwood and quebracho extracts, and divi-divi or algarobilla.

Leather

K. J. Adcock

In the division of the land the industrial firms sought the districts which were richest in quebracho.

The Argentine Republic

Pierre Denis

British Dictionary definitions for quebracho quebracho noun plural -chos (-tʃəʊz, Spanish -tʃos)

1. either of two anacardiaceous South American trees, Schinopsis lorentzii or S. balansae, having a tannin-rich hard wood used in tanning and dyeing
2. an apocynaceous South American tree, Aspidosperma quebrachoblanco, whose bark yields alkaloids used in medicine and tanning
3. the wood or bark of any of these trees
4. any of various other South American trees having hard wood

Word Origin for quebracho C19: from American Spanish, from quiebracha, from quebrar to break (from Latin crepāre to rattle) + hacha axe (from French hache)