cascara

[ kas-kair-uh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a shrub, Rhamnus purshiana (or Frangula purshiana ), of the buckthorn family, of the Pacific coast of the United States, having finely toothed leaves and flowers in umbels and yielding cascara sagrada.

cascara

/ kæsˈkɑːrə /

noun

See cascara sagrada
Also calledcascara buckthornbearwood a shrub or small tree, Rhamnus purshiana of NW North America, whose bark is a source of cascara sagrada: family Rhamnaceae

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Word History and Origins

Origin of cascara¹

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; from Spanish cáscara “bark,” perhaps akin to cascar “to crack,” ultimately derived from unattested Vulgar Latin quassicāre, equivalent to Latin quass(āre) “to shatter” ( quash ) + -icā- formative verb suffix + -re infinitive ending

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Word History and Origins

Origin of cascara¹

C19: from Spanish: bark, from cascar to break, from Vulgar Latin quassicāre (unattested) to shake violently, shatter, from Latin quassāre to dash to pieces

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