Akademik

kaffir boom

noun

1. small semi-evergreen broad-spreading tree of eastern South Africa with orange-scarlet flowers and small coral-red seeds; yields a light soft wood used for fence posts or shingles

• Syn: ↑Cape kafferboom, ↑Erythrina caffra

• Hypernyms: ↑coral tree, ↑erythrina

2. small semi-evergreen tree of South Africa having dense clusters of clear scarlet flowers and red seeds

• Syn: ↑Transvaal kafferboom, ↑Erythrina lysistemon

• Hypernyms: ↑coral tree, ↑erythrina

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\\-ˌbōm, -ˌbüm\ noun

Usage: often capitalized K

Etymology: part translation of Afrikaans kafferboom, from Kaffer Kaffir + boom tree, from Dutch, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English bēam tree — more at beam

Africa : coral tree; especially : a coral tree (Erythrina caffra) with scarlet flowers and light soft wood sometimes used for fence posts or shingles

Useful english dictionary. 2012.