Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
acacia
a-ca′cia
(ȧ-kā′shȧ or ȧ-kā′shĭ-ȧ)
, Noun.
pl. E.
acacias
(ȧ-kā′shȧz)
, L. acaciae
(ȧ-kā′shĭ-ē)
. [L. from Gr.
ἀκακία
; orig. the name of a thorny tree found in Egypt; prob. fr. the root ak
to be sharp. See Acute
.] 1.
[capitalized]
A genus of leguminous trees and shrubs. Nearly 300 species are Australian or Polynesian, and have terete or vertically compressed leaf stalks, instead of the bipinnate leaves of the much fewer species of America, Africa, etc. Very few are found in temperate climates.
2.
(Med.)
The inspissated juice of several species of acacia; – called also
gum acacia
, and gum arabic
. AS
Webster 1828 Edition
Acacia
ACA'CIA
,Noun.
Egyptian thorn, a species of plant ranked by Linne under the genus mimosa, and by others, made a distinct genus. Of the flowers of one species, the Chinese make a yellow dye which bears washing in silks, and appears with elegance on paper.