A South American palm tree or the fiber obtained from it, used for making rope and other products.
From indigenous South American languages, possibly Tupi or related languages. The word reflects the naming of tropical plants by European colonizers from indigenous peoples.
The bussu palm was so valued for its fiber that it shaped colonial trade networks in South America—indigenous knowledge about plant properties often went unattributed while European traders profited.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.