sandarac
/ˈsændəɹæk/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A white or yellow resin obtained from a north African tree (Tetraclinis articulata), and pulverized for pounce; probably so called from a resemblance to the mineral.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Sandarach is procured from common juniper; and incense from a juniper with yellow fruit."
- "Oil was also used for making varnish, by dissolving sandarac in it, and as the 'vernysshe' which appears so frequently in accounts was always bought by the pound, the term was evidently applied to the sandarac, or other similar resinous substance."
- "There would have been many gums and resins in these markets for our lute-maker to bind his wood with: sandarac resin from North African pines […]."
Etymology
From Latin sandaraca, from Ancient Greek σανδαράκη (sandarákē, “realgar”).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: sandaraca, σανδαράκη