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Feb 13, 2012
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Dictionary


quas•sia



Pronunciation: (kwosh'u, -ē-u), [key]
—n.
1. a shrub or small tree, Quassia amara, of tropical America, having pinnate leaves, showy red flowers, and wood with a bitter taste. Cf. quassia family.
2. any of several other trees having bitter-tasting wood.
3. Also called bitterwood. Chem., Pharm.a prepared form of the heartwood of any of these trees, used as an insecticide and in medicine as a tonic to dispel intestinal worms.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

quassquassia family
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