noun
also mes·quit or mez·quit or mez·quite məˈskēt, meˈ-, usu -ēd.+V
( -s )
Etymology: Spanish mezquite, mesquite, from Nahuatl mizquitl
1. : a plant of the genus Prosopis: as
a. : a spiny deep-rooted tree or shrub ( P. juliflora ) of the southwestern United States and Mexico that bears pods which are rich in sugar and important as a livestock feed, that tends to form extensive thickets, and that is often the only woody vegetation on large areas — called also algarroba
b. : screw bean 2
2. : mesquital