n.
Pronunciation: k ā - ' brä-( ˌ )ch ō , ki-
Function: noun
Etymology: American Spanish, alteration of quiebracha, from Spanish quiebra it breaks + hacha ax
Date: circa 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 chiefly 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