um suff

noun

u̇mˈsüf

plural -s

: a wiry grass (Vossia procera) that is found in the Nile and often makes up a considerable part of the river's sudd

Word History

Etymology

Arabic umm ṣūf sudd, literally, mother (i.e., source) of wool, from ṣūf-al-baḥr, a maritime plant, literally, wool of the sea

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