n.
Pronunciation: m ə - ' sk ē t, me-
Function: noun
Etymology: American Spanish, from Nahuatl mizquitl
Date: 1759
: any of several spiny leguminous trees or shrubs (genus Prosopis and especially P. glandulosa ) chiefly of the southwestern U.S. that often form extensive thickets and have sweet pods eaten by livestock also : the wood of the mesquite used especially in grilling food
mesquite: 1 flower and leaves, 2 pod