| an African feather palm, Elaeis guineensis, the fruits of which yield palm oil. |
| oil palm n.
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oil palm
African tree cultivated as a source of oil in West and Central Africa, where it originated, and in Malaysia and Indonesia, and as an ornamental tree in many subtropical areas; or, the American oil palm, Elaeis oleifera, originating in Central and South America and sometimes cultivated under the erroneous name Elaeis melanococca, the oil of which was probably used for making candles by the early American colonizers.
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