betel
/'be:təl/
Definition
- Noun:
- A tropical Asian climbing plant: "betel" refers specifically to the Piper betle plant, a vine cultivated for its glossy, heart-shaped leaves.
- The leaf of this plant: The word also commonly denotes the leaf itself, which is chewed for its stimulant effects.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The betel is a perennial creeper. (The plant known as betel is a type of vine that lives for many years.)
- She prepared a betel leaf with areca nut and lime. (She took a single leaf from the betel plant and combined it with other ingredients.)
Advanced Usage
- "Betel chewing": The practice of chewing a preparation containing betel leaf, areca nut, and slaked lime.
- Betel chewing is a traditional custom in many parts of Asia.
- "Betel quid": A small packet or preparation for chewing, typically consisting of a betel leaf wrapped around sliced areca nut and lime paste.
- He offered me a betel quid after the meal.
Variants and Related Words
- Betel nut (n): This is a separate term referring to the seed of the areca palm (), which is almost always chewed along with the betel leaf. It is not a "nut" from the betel plant itself.
- Betel nut is often sliced and wrapped inside the betel leaf.
- Betel pepper (n): Another name for the betel plant ().
Synonyms
- Piper betle: The scientific botanical name for the betel plant.
Notes on Meaning
- The term "betel" specifically and correctly refers only to the leaf of the vine. The common phrase "betel nut" is a misnomer for the seed of a different plant (the areca palm) and is not a variant of the betel leaf itself. They are two distinct ingredients used together in the practice of betel chewing.
Noun
-
Asian pepper plant whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut (seed of the betel palm) by southeast Asians
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