Definition of iroko in English:
iroko
nounPlural irokos iːˈrəʊkəʊɪˈrəʊkəʊ
A tropical African tree which yields pale timber that is sometimes used as an oak or teak substitute.
Genus Chlorophora, family Moraceae: several species
Example sentencesExamples
- The woods used - European oak for the external screens, shutters and internal detailing, iroko for the giant windows - have been left untreated to weather through time.
- Choose a tropical hardwood which is high in natural oil content like teak, iroko or courbaril.
- However, iroko was in short supply in this area and cutting it required a permit, which cost 15 shillings in 1964.
- Showcases and galleries in the new museum are made from iroko, an African hardwood resistant to the advances of the white ant, which arrived on the island in 1840.
- As in most contemporary well-insulated buildings, much of what you see is cladding - predominantly green oak, though with frames and balustrades in iroko.
Origin
Late 19th century: from Yoruba.