/kas kair"euh/ , n.
a buckthorn, Rhamnus purshiana, of the Pacific coast of the U.S., having finely toothed leaves and flowers in umbels and yielding cascara sagrada. Also called cascara buckthorn, bearberry, chittamwood .
[ 1875-80, Amer.; cáscara bark, perh. akin to cascar to crack quassicare, equiv. to L quass ( are ) to shatter (see QUASH) + -ica- formative v. suffix + -re inf. ending ]