Word Study
betel
CIDE DICTIONARY
betel, n. [Pg., fr. Tamil ve, prop. meaning, a mere leaf.].
A species of pepper (Piper betle ), the leaves of which are chewed, with the areca or betel nut and a little shell lime, by the inhabitants of the East Indies. It is a woody climber with ovate many-nerved leaves. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
betel, n. the leaf of the Asian evergreen climbing plant Piper betle, chewed in the East with parings of the areca nut.
Idiom
betel-nut the areca nut.
Etymology
Port. f. Malayalam vettila
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