the wood of the South American tree Brosimum Aubletii
3.
any of various trees of the genus Colubrina
4.
any of various trees of the genus Strychnos
snakewood in American English
(ˈsneikˌwud)
noun
1.
the heavy, dark-red wood of a South American tree, Piratinera guianensis, used for decorative veneers, musical instrument bows, etc.
2.
the tree that is the source of this wood
Also called: letterwood
Word origin
[1590–1600; snake + wood1]This word is first recorded in the period 1590–1600. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Byzantine, attack, dummy, radius, squeeze