A hardwood from a tropical tree, possibly from the West Indies; wood used historically in construction or crafting.
Compound of cat + wood, likely describing the wood of a specific tree species in tropical regions. The origin of the 'cat' prefix is unclear—may derive from a local or indigenous name.
Many tropical woods have animal names in English (like boxwood, dogwood) that often have nothing to do with the animals they reference—they're usually translations or corruptions of indigenous or Portuguese/Spanish plant names.
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