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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
betel
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
betel nut
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
nut
▪ The Annamese all chew betel nut.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ His jaw was moving back and forth rapidly, kneading his betel for another go.
▪ I had a mouth full of red betel juice.
▪ The Annamese all chew betel nut.
▪ The visitors were treated to rice and betel. 1.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Betel

Betel \Be"tel\ (b[=e]"t'l), n. [Pg., fr. Tamil ve[.t][.t]ilei, prop. meaning, a mere leaf.] (Bot.) A species of pepper ( Piper betle), the leaves of which are chewed, with the areca or betel nut and a little shell lime, by the inhabitants of the East Indies. It is a woody climber with ovate many-nerved leaves.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
betel

1550s, probably via Portuguese betel, from Malayalam vettila, from veru ila "simple leaf."

Wiktionary
betel

n. 1 Either of two plants often used in combination: 2 # an evergreen Indian creeping shrub, (taxlink Piper betle species noshow=1), whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut: the betel pepper 3 # the seed of the betel palm, ''Areca catechu'': the betel nut

WordNet
betel

n. Asian pepper plant whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut (seed of the betel palm) by southeast Asians [syn: betel pepper, Piper betel]

Wikipedia
Betel

The betel (Piper betle) is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepper and kava. It is valued both as a mild stimulant and for its medicinal properties. Betel leaf is mostly consumed in Asia, and elsewhere in the world by some Asian emigrants, as betel quid or in paan, with or without tobacco, in an addictive psychostimulating and euphoria-inducing formulation with adverse health effects. Betel is notable for staining the teeth of regular users.

In Sri Lanka and in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal and Odisha a sheaf of betel leaves is traditionally offered as a mark of respect and auspicious beginnings. Occasions include, greeting elders at wedding ceremonies, New Year, offering payment to Ayurvedic physicians and astrologers where usually money and or areca nut are kept on top of the sheaf of leaves and offered to the elders for their blessings.

The betel plant is an evergreen perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkin. The betel plant originated in South and South East Asia.

Betel (district of Paulínia)

Betel is a district of Paulínia, located 5 km to the East of Paulínia downtown, bordering the Campinas district of Barão Geraldo. Its area is about 49.5 km and a population of 1165 citizens. Betel is the leading example of Paulínia's growth. By 1993 the region was part of the district of Barão Geraldo in Campinas. In that year, a referendum was held on its annexation to Paulínia, as Betel was economically very attached to that city. The annexation was approved by the population and the Paulínia municipality expanded in area.

Usage examples of "betel".

The requisites for chewing are: a small piece of areca nut, a leaf of the Sirih or betel pepper, a little moistened lime, and, if you wish to be very luxurious, a paste made of spices.

He could have been asking her to bring him a paan, specifying what supari he wanted in it and whether he wished the betel nut flaked, cut, or sweetened.

She was unfamiliar with the red spittle from the betel chewing that was expectorated everywhere around them, and not even the Hindi film songs and the Qawwali on the jukebox in the Olympia had prepared her for the assault of noise along Falkland Road.

As we drove out of the town the houses became fewer and the trees denser, with mosques here and there among them, and in a few minutes we were in the great dark forest of cocoa, betel, and sago palms, awfully solemn and oppressive in the hot stillness of the evening.

Some lit up, others broke them into sections to chew with betel nut, and a few tucked them behind their ears for later.

As a farewell present he had brought the tuan a trilobate betel box in which he might carry his coca-leaves, and a wig, a poor thing, but the best the island could produce.

So Achang chewed betel over the problem for a full hour, and then, being a man of action, took his weapons and went over to Panda the blacksmith.

Upon the car, which was drawn by four richly caparisoned zebus, stood a hideous statue with four arms, the body coloured a dull red, with haggard eyes, dishevelled hair, protruding tongue, and lips tinted with betel.

Although it was predominantly a Malay practice the habit of chewing betel nuts, which released the reddening areca catechu stain, was widespread throughout the East.

Rowser spoke to the driver, who went to look for the watchman, returning in ten minutes with a man chewing betel leaf.

They throw into the fire a cloth containing rice, and another in which they carry betel leaves, and her comb and mirror with which she adorned herself, saying that all these are needed to adorn herself by her husband's side.

Make a litter and take the pilot to the betel nut trees by the runway.

Some lit up, others broke them into sections to chew with betel nut, and a few tucked them behind their ears for later.

The other three prisoners seemed to be recovering from the effects of whatever narcotic drug the betel nut had been adulterated with.

The use of the cocoa, or betel nut, is universal among the men, but not so common with the women until they grow old.