[ 'kwɒʃə , 'kwɒʃɪə , 'kwasɪə ]
■ noun a South American shrub or small tree whose wood, bark, or root yields a medicinal tonic, insecticide, and vermifuge. [ Quassia amara and other species.]
Origin
named after Graman Quassi , the 18th-cent. Surinamese slave who discovered its medicinal properties.