noun
or ba·bool bəˈbül ; or ba·blah -ˈblä
( -s )
Etymology: Persian babūl; akin to Sanskrit babbula, babbūla ( Acacia arabica )
1.
a. : an acacia tree ( Acacia arabica ) that is probably native to the Sudan but is widespread in northern Africa and across Asia through much of India and that is a source of gum arabic and of tannins and in part of its range of fodder and timber — compare amrad gum
b. : the hard tough durable reddish woods of babul which is used especially in India for agricultural implements, general construction, and carving
2. usually bablah : the pods and sometimes the bark of the babul that are rich in tannin and used in tanning and dyeing ; also : the pods of any of several acacias that are similarly used