[que.bra.cho] n [AmerSp, alter. of quiebracha, fr. Sp quiebra it breaks + hacha ax] (ca. 1881) 1: any of several trees of southern So. America with hard wood: as a: a tree (Aspidosperma quebracho) of the dogbane family which occurs in Argentina and Chile and whose dried bark is used as a respiratory sedative in dyspnea and in asthma b: a chiefly Argentine tree (Schinopsis lorentzii) of the cashew family with dense wood rich in tannins
2. a: the wood of a quebracho b: a tannin-rich extract of the Argentine quebracho used in tanning leather