Chiule

/tʃiˈuːlə/ noun

Definition

A tropical evergreen tree native to Central and South America, producing a gum used in chewing gum and other products.

Etymology

From Spanish 'chicle,' from Nahuatl (Aztec) 'xictli' or 'chicli,' the sap of the sapodilla tree. The word traveled from indigenous Mesoamerica through Spanish colonization into English.

Kelly Says

Chiule connects us to Aztec civilization—the word comes from what the Nahuatl people called a tree they used for centuries, and that same word powered a multi-billion-dollar modern industry.

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