betel

See also: bétel and Betel

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese bétele, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila), from വെറു (veṟu, plain, mere) + ഇല (ila, leaf) or Tamil வெற்றிலை (veṟṟilai).

Pronunciation

Noun

betel (usually uncountable, plural betels)

  1. Either of two plants often used in combination:
    • 1958, R. K. Narayan, The Guide, Penguin, published 1988, page 194:
      Her face was flushed with the tingling effect of betel leaves.
    1. an evergreen Indian creeping shrub, Piper betle, whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut: the betel pepper
    2. the seed of the betel palm, Areca catechu: the betel nut
  2. A quid (chewing preparation) containing these and other plant materials; paan.
    • 1934, George Orwell, chapter 1, in Burmese Days:
      He went to the rail to spit out a scarlet mouthful of betel []
    • 2002, Vātsyāyana, Kama Sutra, translated by Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar, Oxford University Press, 3.3.16, pp. 83-84,
      Within the range of his powers, he sends her, secretly, [] cosmetics such as red lac, red arsenic, yellow arsenic, red mercury sulphide, and black collyrium; sandalwood paste and saffron; and, in course of time, areca nuts and betel leaves for betel.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese bétele \ bétel, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbeː.təl/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: be‧tel
  • Rhymes: -eːtəl

Noun

betel f (plural betels)

  1. betel
    1. betel vine, Piper betle
      Synonym: betelpeper
    2. betel palm, Areca catechu
      Synonyms: betelboom, betelpalm

Derived terms

  • betelblad
  • betelboom
  • betelnoot
  • betelpalm
  • betelpeper

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.tel/
  • Rhymes: -ɛtel
  • Hyphenation: bè‧tel

Noun

betel m (invariable)

  1. betel leaf, Piper betle

Further reading

  • betel in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English bȳtel, bīetel (hammer), from Proto-West Germanic *bautil (hammer, mallet), equivalent to beten + -le.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbeːtəl/

Noun

betel (plural betels)

  1. mallet, maul, hammer
  2. bat, club, cudgel

Derived terms

  • batildore

Descendants

  • English: beetle
  • Yola: balbeedhel

References

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese bétele, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.tɛl/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛtɛl
  • Syllabification: be‧tel

Noun

betel m inan

  1. betel, betel pepper (Piper betle)
    Synonyms: pieprz betelowy, pieprz żuwny
  2. betel (chewing preparation)

Declension

Derived terms

adjective
noun

Further reading

  • betel in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French bétel.

Noun

betel m (plural beteli)

  1. (botany) betel

Declension

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