A hard wax obtained from the leaves of a South American palm tree, used in polishes, waxes, and cosmetics.
From Portuguese carnaúba, from Tupi-Guarani indigenous language of Brazil where the plant grows natively. The word traveled directly from indigenous South America to English.
The carnauba wax on your car's hood or your grandmother's furniture paste comes from a single Brazilian palm tree—and it's so durable that it's still the gold standard for high-shine polish over a century later.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.