witgat

noun

wit·​gat

ˈwitˌgat

variants or witgatboom

-ˌbüm

plural -s

: a South African shrub or tree (Boscia albitrunca) of the family Caparidaceae having white hard close-grained wood and roots that are roasted as a coffee substitute

Word History

Etymology

witgat from Afrikaans, short for witgatboom, literally, white hole tree, from Middle Dutch wit white + gat hole, opening + boom tree; akin to Old English hwīt white, gæt opening, bēam tree

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