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Sumac
Definitions
- 1 Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus and certain other genera in Anacardiaceae. uncountable, usually
"The Rhamnus of Maderaspatan, and the Trifoliate Sumachs from the Coaſt of Africa, are altogether new."
- 2 Alternative form of soumak. alt-of, alternative, uncountable
- 3 a shrub or tree of the genus Rhus (usually limited to the non-poisonous members of the genus) wordnet
- 4 Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus and certain other genera in Anacardiaceae.; particularly, one of species Rhus coriaria (tanner's sumac) uncountable, usually
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- 5 wood of a sumac wordnet
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- 6 Dried and chopped-up leaves and stems of a plant of the genus Rhus, particularly tanner's sumac (see sense 1), used for dyeing and tanning leather or for medicinal purposes. uncountable, usually
- 7 A sour spice popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, made from the berries of tanner's sumac. uncountable, usually
"The spices used in this bread are zaatar and sumack. [...] Sumack is a spice derived from the berries of a bush that grows wild in all Mediterranean areas. The berries are dried and crushed to form a coarse purple-red powder. It has a sour taste."
- 1 To apply a preparation of sumac to (an object), for example, to a piece of leather to tan it. transitive
"After this operation, the goods muſt be winched and well planked, or otherwiſe cleaned; they are then, according to the quality of them, to be ſumached, and then ſnitchelled off, and waſhed."
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English sumac, asimac, simak, sumak, symak (“portions of the shrub Rhus coriaria, chiefly used for medicinal purposes”), from Anglo-Norman sumak, symak, and Old French sumac, or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin sumach, sumac, from Arabic سُمَّاق (summāq), from Classical Syriac ܣܘܡܩܐ (summāqā, “red; sumac”). The English word is cognate with Italian sommaco, sommacco, Occitan simac, Portuguese sumagre, Spanish zumaque. The verb is derived from the noun.
The noun is derived from Middle English sumac, asimac, simak, sumak, symak (“portions of the shrub Rhus coriaria, chiefly used for medicinal purposes”), from Anglo-Norman sumak, symak, and Old French sumac, or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin sumach, sumac, from Arabic سُمَّاق (summāq), from Classical Syriac ܣܘܡܩܐ (summāqā, “red; sumac”). The English word is cognate with Italian sommaco, sommacco, Occitan simac, Portuguese sumagre, Spanish zumaque. The verb is derived from the noun.
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