sumac

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable, usually) Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus and certain other genera in Anacardiaceae
2. (uncountable, usually) Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus and certain other genera in Anacardiaceae
3. (uncountable, usually) Dried and chopped-up leaves and stems of a plant of the genus Rhus, particularly tanner's sumac (see sense 1), used for dyeing and tanning leather or for medicinal purposes.
4. (uncountable, usually) A sour spice popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, made from the berries of tanner's sumac.

Verb

To apply a preparation of sumac to (an object), for example, to a piece of leather to tan it.

Synonyms

sumach

shumac

loquat

squawberry

wax tree

vinegar tree

scarlet sumac

Translations

sumac

zumaque

σουμάκι

sumac

sumak

سُمَّاق

Sumach

rhus

sumagre

ρούδι

Rhus

rhus

sommacco

Rhus

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈs(j)uːmæk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sumac

Cognate with Italian: sommaco

Cognate with Occitan: simac

Cognate with Portuguese: sumagre

Cognate with Spanish: zumaque

In summary

The noun is derived from Middle English sumac, asimac, simak, sumak, symak (“portions of the shrub Rhus coriaria, chiefly used for medicinal purposes”), from Anglo-Norman sumak, symak, and Old French sumac, or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin sumach, sumac, from Arabic سُمَّاق (summāq), from Classical Syriac ܣܘܡܩܐ (summāqā, “red; sumac”). The English word is cognate with Italian sommaco, sommacco, Occitan simac, Portuguese sumagre, Spanish zumaque.
The verb is derived from the noun.