A large South American tree, or its hard wood used in construction and furniture making.
From Portuguese 'pereira,' possibly from 'pera' (pear) or derived from a Tupi indigenous language. The tree became known by this name through Portuguese colonial encounters in Brazil.
Pereira wood is incredibly dense and hard—it lasts for centuries outdoors without rotting, so it was used for colonial shipbuilding and fortifications. It's so tough it's used for railroad ties and poles in tropical regions today.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.