balata

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈbælətə/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(bə lä′tə, bal′ə tə)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
ba•la•ta  (bə lä′tə, bal′ə tə),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Plant Biology, Chemistrya nonelastic, rubberlike, water-resistant gum that softens in hot water and is obtained from the latex of a tropical American tree, Manilkara bidentata: used chiefly in the manufacture of machinery belts, golf ball covers, and as a substitute for gutta percha. Cf. bully tree.
  2. Plant Biologya tree, Mimusops balata, of Madagascar.
  • Carib
  • American Spanish
  • 1855–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
balata / ˈbælətə/
  1. a tropical American sapotaceous tree, Manilkara bidentata, yielding a latex-like sap
  2. a rubber-like gum obtained from this sap: used as a substitute for gutta-percha
Etymology: from American Spanish, of Carib origin
'balata' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bully tree - golf ball - sapodilla family

Forum discussions with the word(s) "balata" in the title:


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