betel nut

noun

: the astringent seed of the betel palm

Examples of betel nut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rusty splatters of betel nut appeared on sidewalks near gas stations. Akhil Sharma, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2024 Shops were open, selling coffee, ice cream and betel nuts. Siyi Zhao Lam Yik Fei, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024 His teeth as always are stained with betel nut. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 4 Jan. 2022 Consumed by more than 600 million people, mainly in southern Asia, areca nut—more popularly, betel nut—is a stimulant. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 18 Jan. 2022 This saddens but does not surprise Larry Raigetal, a master navigator who is chewing betel nut beneath a canopy of stars. Julian Aguon, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2021 Pineapple shrimp balls, a betel nut pineapple salad and classics like fried rice with pineapple are just some of the dishes being pushed out by restaurants and hotels on the island. Huizhong Wu, chicagotribune.com, 10 Mar. 2021 Apart from betel vineyards, this lush fertile land has provided us with cashew, coconut, drumstick, mango, jackfruit, betel nut, pineapple, guava, many other varieties of fruits, roots, and vegetables. Mayank Aggarwal, Quartz India, 4 Mar. 2020 As the humid jumble of roaring motorcycles and bubble-tea shops vanishes behind me, knotted electrical wires make way for betel nut plantations and clotheslines in small-town backyards that straddle railroad tracks first built for loggers. Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'betel nut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from its being chewed with betel leaves

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of betel nut was in 1673

Dictionary Entries Near betel nut

Cite this Entry

“Betel nut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betel%20nut. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

betel nut

noun
: the seed of an Asian palm

Medical Definition

betel nut

noun
: the astringent seed of the betel palm that is a source of arecoline

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