| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| abaca |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ab·a·ca |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   b  -kä , äb- |
| VARIANT FORMS: | also ab·a·cá |
| NOUN: | 1. A bananalike plant (Musa textilis) native to the Philippines and having broad leaves with long stalks. 2. The fibers obtained from the stalks of this plant, used to make cordage, fabric, and paper. Also called manila, Manila hemp. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Spanish abacá, from Tagalog abaka.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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