angustura
|an-gus-tu-ra|
🇺🇸
/ˌæŋɡəˈstʊrə/
🇬🇧
/ˌæŋɡəˈstjʊərə/
bitter South American medicinal bark (and the tree)
Etymology
'angustura' originates from Spanish, specifically the word 'angostura', where 'angosto' meant 'narrow' (from Latin 'angustus' 'narrow'); it also referred to the town name 'Angostura' in Venezuela from which the bark was shipped.
'angostura (bark)' passed into English in the late 18th–early 19th century; the variant spelling 'angustura' became established in medical and botanical writing, and both forms coexisted, with 'angustura' used for the bark/tree.
Initially, it referred to the place 'Angostura' or to 'narrows', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'the medicinal bark and the tree yielding it' in English.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the bitter, aromatic bark of certain South American trees (especially in the rue family) used medicinally and as a flavoring; also called angustura bark.
Herbalists prize angustura for its tonic properties.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a tropical South American tree that yields this bark, especially Galipea officinalis (also called cusparia).
Angustura is native to northern South America.
Synonyms
Noun 3
in historical pharmacy, especially in the phrase ‘false angustura’, a poisonous adulterant bark from Strychnos species mistaken for or substituted for true angustura.
Merchants warned that false angustura had entered the market.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/10 10:08