səˈfōrə noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Arabic ṣufayrā', a tree of the genus Sophora
1. capitalized : a genus of trees and shrubs (family Leguminosae) that are natives of the warmer parts of both hemispheres and have odd-pinnate leaves and rather showy flowers with a broad or rounded standard and oblong keel — see japanese pagoda tree , kowhai , mescal bean 2
2. -s : any plant of the genus Sophora