Andoroba

/ændəˈroʊbə/ noun

Definition

A large tropical tree native to South America that produces seeds containing oil used in traditional medicine and cosmetics.

Etymology

From Tupi 'andiroba' or similar Amazonian language roots. Portuguese colonists learned the name from indigenous peoples and applied it to this valuable tree species.

Kelly Says

Andoroba oil is so effective at repelling insects that indigenous Amazonians have used it for centuries as a natural bug spray—modern entomologists are still studying why it works so well compared to synthetic alternatives.

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