A natural rubber or gum obtained from a tropical South American tree, used to make golf ball coverings and other resilient products.
From Spanish/Portuguese 'balata,' derived from Tupi (indigenous Brazilian language) 'balata.' The word entered English through colonial trade in the Amazon region.
Balata was the original material for golf ball covers before synthetic rubber—it's how ancient rainforest trees influenced modern sports, and the demand for balata was part of why the Amazon rainforest started being exploited commercially.
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