English Explanatory Dictionary

arrowroot

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Maranta arundinacea from the Marantaceae family, a large perennial herb native to the Caribbean area with green leaves about 15 centimeters long.
  2. Usually preceded by an attributive word: some other plant whose rhizomes are used to prepare a substance similar to arrowroot (sense 3), such as Zamia integrifolia (Florida arrowroot) or Pueraria montana var. lobata (Japanese arrowroot or kudzu).
  3. A starchy substance obtained from the rhizomes of an arrowroot plant used as a thickener.
  4. Other plants with similar appearance or properties, such as common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)|

Pronunciation

/ˈæɹə(ʊ)ɹuːt/ /ˈɛɹoʊˌɹut/ /ˈæɹoʊˌɹut/ en-au-arrowroot.ogg

Word forms

arrowroot arrowroots arrow-root

Etymology

From Lokono aru-aru (literally “meal of meals”), influenced by arrow + root because the plant’s “roots” (more accurately rhizomes) are used on wounds from poison darts to absorb the poison.

Derived words

African arrowroot American arrowroot arrowroot orchid arrowroot tea banded arrowroot bembam arrowroot Bermuda arrowroot Brazilian arrowroot Canna arrowroot Chinese arrowroot East Asian arrowroot East Indian arrowroot Fiji arrowroot Florida arrowroot Guinea arrowroot Hawaii arrowroot Indian arrowroot Jamaica arrowroot Japanese arrowroot Maranta arrowroot Natal arrowroot Oswego arrowroot Polynesian arrowroot Portland arrowroot purple arrowroot Queensland arrowroot South Sea arrowroot Tahiti arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides St. Vincent arrowroot true arrowroot tulema arrowroot West Indian arrowroot white arrowroot
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on A Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary