noun
or su·mach also shu·mac ˈs(h)üˌmak sometimes -ˌmäk or -ˌmȧk or ˈshüˌmāk
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English sumac, from Middle French, from Arabic summāq
1.
a. : a shrub or tree of the genus Rhus — often restricted to the innocuous members of the genus; see laurel sumac , poison sumac , squawbush , staghorn sumac ; compare poison ivy , poison oak
b.
(1) : the wood of a sumac
(2) : a material used in tanning and dyeing consisting of the dried and powdered leaves and panicles of various sumacs
2. : any of several shrubs and trees (as of the genera Ailanthus and Myrica ) in some respect resembling though not closely related to members of the genus Rhus
3. : buckthorn brown