Pernambuco

Definition

The hard, reddish wood of a tree of the tribe Caesalpinieae, often used as dyewood; especially Paubrasilia echinata, used to make violin bows.

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese Pernambuco.

Example Sentences

• "When I annealed the bows over heat, the smell was quite different from the Pernambuco wood we are used to."
• "[P]ernambucco – the finest brasil from Brazil, so strong it almost resembles iron – became the favoured material for good bows."