bois d'arc

English

Etymology

Borrowing from French bois d'arc (“bow wood”). So called because used for bows by the Western Indians.

Noun

bois d'arc

1. The osage orange.
   • 1880, US Census

     The bois d'arc seems to be the characteristic growth of the black prairies.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.