quebracho

noun

que·​bra·​cho kā-ˈbrä-(ˌ)chō 

ki-

plural quebrachos

1

: any of several trees of southern South America with hard wood: such as

a

: a tree (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco) of the dogbane family which occurs chiefly in Argentina and Chile and whose dried bark is used as a respiratory sedative in dyspnea and in asthma

b

: a chiefly Argentine tree (Schinopsis lorentzii) of the cashew family with dense wood rich in tannins

2

a

: the wood of a quebracho

b

: a tannin-rich extract of the Argentine quebracho used in tanning leather

Examples of quebracho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Gran Chaco, which spans from Bolivia and Brazil to Paraguay and Argentina, is extremely bio-diverse, with more than 3,400 plant and 900 animal species – including quebracho blanco trees, tapirs and jaguars. —Joel E. Correia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2019

In Wickett & Craig's case, that's done with the natural tannins from the bark of trees like mimosa and quebracho. —Lara Sorokanich, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2016

There are already plenty of strong woods in the world, like quebracho, snakewood, or African blackwood. —David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 8 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, alteration of quiebracha, from Spanish quiebra it breaks + hacha ax

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

quebracho

noun

que·​bra·​cho kā-ˈbräch-(ˌ)ō, ki- 

1

: a tree of the genus Aspidosperma (A. quebracho) of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) which occurs in Argentina and Chile and whose dried bark is used as a respiratory sedative in dyspnea and in asthma

called also white quebracho

2

: aspidosperma sense 2