chilicote

Definitions

noun A name in northern Mexico of Erythrina coralloides, a small thorny trifoliate tree belonging to the Fabaceæ, the hard scarlet seeds of which were formerly strung into necklaces by the Indians.

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word chilicote.

The many odd-shaped cacti form a strong contrast to the light and pinnate leaves of the numerous leguminous shrubs, acacia, sophronia, etc. The chilicote, or coral-tree (_erythræa_), with scarlet flowers, is seen everywhere; also palo blanco, with a white stem, looking like an apple-tree.

Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) A Record of Five Years' Exploration Among the Tribes of the Western Sierra Madre; In the Tierra Caliente of Tepic and Jalisco; and Among the Tarascos of Michoacan Carl Lumholtz 1886
But the giants were fierce, and ravished the women while the latter were under the influence of the Moon; therefore the Tarahumares got very angry and they mixed a decoction made from the chilicote-tree with the corn that they gave the giants to eat, and the giants died.

Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) A Record of Five Years' Exploration Among the Tribes of the Western Sierra Madre; In the Tierra Caliente of Tepic and Jalisco; and Among the Tarascos of Michoacan Carl Lumholtz 1886