barriguda

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A majestic palm, Iriartea ventricosa, which reaches a height of 80–100 feet. The trunk is generally cylindrical to a height of 40 or 50 feet, where it swells out to double, or more than double, its former diameter for 10 or 15 feet, diminishing again, and becoming cylindrical for the remaining distance to the summit. The wood is black, hard, and very heavy, and is used by the Indians for making harpoons and spears. The swollen part of the stem is sometimes made into a canoe. [Brazil.]