A South American palm tree (Attalea funifera) that produces hard, durable nuts used for making buttons, combs, and other small objects.
From Spanish/Portuguese 'coquilla,' derived from 'coco' (coconut palm). The word traveled from tropical regions into European trade languages as the nuts became valuable in commerce.
Before plastic, coquilla nuts were 'nature's plastic'—they were the go-to material for buttons, especially for high-quality tailoring, which is why colonial traders got obsessed with these palm trees. Finding an old coat with coquilla buttons is like discovering a miniature history of global trade.
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