betel

See also: bétel and Betel

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese bétele, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila) or Tamil வெற்றிலை (veṟṟilai).

Pronunciation

Noun

betel (usually uncountable, plural betels)

  1. Either of two (parts of) plants often used in combination:
    • 1958, R. K. Narayan, The Guide, Penguin, published 1988, page 194:
      Her face was flushed with the tingling effect of betel leaves.
    1. An evergreen Indian creeping shrub, Piper betle, whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut: the betel pepper.
    2. The betel palm, Areca catechu, and in particular its seed, the areca nut or betel nut.
  2. A quid (chewing preparation) containing these and other plant materials; paan.
    • 1934, George Orwell, chapter 1, in Burmese Days[1]:
      He went to the rail to spit out a scarlet mouthful of betel []
    • 2002, Vātsyāyana, translated by Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar, Kama Sutra, Oxford University Press, 3.3.16, pp. 83-84:
      Within the range of his powers, he sends her, secretly, [] cosmetics such as red lac, red arsenic, yellow arsenic, red mercury sulphide, and black collyrium; sandalwood paste and saffron; and, in course of time, areca nuts and betel leaves for betel.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese bétele \ bétel, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbeː.təl/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: be‧tel
  • Rhymes: -eːtəl

Noun

betel f (plural betels)

  1. betel
    1. betel vine, Piper betle
      Synonym: betelpeper
    2. betel palm, Areca catechu
      Synonyms: betelboom, betelpalm

Derived terms

  • betelblad
  • betelboom
  • betelnoot
  • betelpalm
  • betelpeper

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.tel/
  • Rhymes: -ɛtel
  • Hyphenation: bè‧tel

Noun

betel m (invariable)

  1. betel leaf, Piper betle

Further reading

  • betel in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English bȳtel, bīetel (hammer), from Proto-West Germanic *bautil (hammer, mallet), equivalent to beten +‎ -le.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbeːtəl/

Noun

betel (plural betels)

  1. mallet, maul, hammer
  2. bat, club, cudgel

Derived terms

  • batildore

Descendants

  • English: beetle
  • Yola: balbeedhel

References

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese bétele, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.tɛl/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛtɛl
  • Syllabification: be‧tel

Noun

betel m inan

  1. betel, betel pepper (Piper betle)
    Synonyms: pieprz betelowy, pieprz żuwny
  2. betel (chewing preparation)

Declension

Derived terms

adjective

Further reading

  • betel in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French bétel.

Noun

betel m (plural beteli)

  1. (botany) betel

Declension

Declension of betel
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative betel betelul beteli betelii
genitive-dative betel betelului beteli betelilor
vocative betelule betelilor