tucum

noun

tu·​cum

tüˈküm

variants or less commonly tucuma

-mə

plural -s

1

or less commonly tucum palm

a

: any of several chiefly Brazilian palms of the genus Astrocaryum (especially A. tucuma) with leaf bases that yield a coarse fiber used especially for cordage and hats and with seeds that yield an edible oil

b

: a low spiny Brazilian palm (Bactris setosa) with leaves that yield a long strong fiber held to resemble wool and used locally for bags or other containers, fishing nets, and shoemakers' twines

2

: the fiber of a tucum

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese tucumā, from Tupi tucumá

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!