bitterwood Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun handsome South American shrub or small tree having bright scarlet flowers and yielding a valuable fine-grained yellowish wood; yields the bitter drug quassia from its wood and bark
    Quassia amara; quassia.
  2. noun West Indian tree yielding the drug Jamaica quassia
    Picrasma excelsum; Picrasma excelsa; Jamaica quassia.
  3. noun medium to large tree of tropical North and South America having odd-pinnate leaves and long panicles of small pale yellow flowers followed by scarlet fruits
    Simarouba glauca; paradise tree.

WordNet

Bit"ter*wood` noun
Definitions
  1. A West Indian tree (Picræna excelsa) from the wood of which the bitter drug Jamaica quassia is obtained.

Webster 1913