arrowroot
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: compound
Etymology: From Lokono aru-aru (literally “meal of meals”), influenced by arrow + root because the plant’s “roots” (more accurately rhizomes) are used on wounds from poison darts to absorb the poison.
Compound parts: arrow
root
Inflected forms:
form: arrowroots
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: arrow-root
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Maranta arundinacea from the Marantaceae family, a large perennial herb native to the Caribbean area with green leaves about 15 centimeters long.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: The East India arrowroot was considered the best; and the French West India arrowroot not so good. The East India arrowroot had the finest grains; the second finest were those from the potato; and third the tous les mois or French West India arrowroot; […]
Arrowroots were introduced into the area in early 1983 by an elderly citizen known as Mr. Awondo, who brought it from Central Kenya where it is planted in the moist river beds. […] Arrowroots thrive where there is enough moisture in the soil for its normal growth and development.
gloss: Usually preceded by an attributive word: some other plant whose rhizomes are used to prepare a substance similar to arrowroot (sense 3), such as Zamia integrifolia (Florida arrowroot) or Pueraria montana var. lobata (Japanese arrowroot or kudzu).
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Arrowroot (pia) is a member of the Tacca family. […] The ancient Hawaiians used the arrowroot (pia) as a food and as a medicine.
The root tubers of Japanese arrowroot can be used either in fresh dried form after cooking in a manner similar to other root crops. The fresh roots are used for the extraction of starch (kudzu powder). […] Japanese arrowroot plant foliage is also a palatable fodder for farm cattle in the form of hay, pasture or silage, especially in the off season.
gloss: A starchy substance obtained from the rhizomes of an arrowroot plant used as a thickener.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: Dr. Ifill could state, with certainty, that all the arrow-root imported into this country from Barbadoes, was made from the maranta; […] The difference in the quality of the arrow-roots imported into this country, depended on the care which had been employed in the preparation. The greater number of times the fecula was washed, the purer it would be.
[page 396] Arrowroot is the fecula of Maran′ta arundina′cea or West Indian arrowroot; Sex. Syst. Monandria Monogynia; Nat. Ord. Marantaceæ; a plant, which is a native of South America and the West Indies, where it is largely cultivated in gardens and provision grounds. The tubers or roots are beaten into a pulp, stirred with cold water, removing the fibres with the hand; the milky juice is passed through a fine sieve, and the starch is allowed to subside in the strained fluid. The fecula is then washed, and dried without heat. This is the Arrowroot. […] [pages 397–398] As an aliment, arrowroot is considered to be less nutritive than wheaten starch, but more palatable and digestible. […] Boiled in water or milk, it is a very common, and favourite aliment in febrile and inflammatory affections, in chronic diseases, and in convalescence from the acute.
The presence of potato starch in arrow root may be discovered by the microscope. Arrow root consists of regular ovoid particles of nearly equal size, whereas potato starch consists of particles of an irregular ovoid or truncated form, exceedingly irregular in their dimensions, some being so large as ¹⁄₃₀₀ of an inch, and others only ¹⁄₂₀₀₀.
Mix to a smooth batter the arrowroot with ½ pint of the milk; put the other pint on the fire, with laurel-leaves or lemon-peel, whichever may be preferred, and let the milk steep until it is well flavoured. Then strain the milk, and add it, boiling, to the mixed arrowroot; sweeten it with sifted sugar, and let it boil, stirring it all the time, till it thickens sufficiently to come from the saucepan.
Arrowroot is made from Zamia angustifolia in the Bahamas, etc. Under the local name of Coonti an arrowroot is prepared in Florida from the fecula of Zamia integrifolia. […] Arrowroot prepared in Queensland from Encephalartus (Zamia) spiralis was shown in 1872 at the London Exhibition.
For food, they [ancient Hawaiians] mixed the arrowroot with coconut cream or milk (wai o ka nui), or wrapped it in tī (kī) leaves. Also they steamed the arrowroot in an imu to make the dessert haupia.
The Hawaiian dessert most commonly encountered by visitors is haupia. At every commercial luau, a thick and stodgy pudding of cornstarch and coconut milk is cut into squares and served on pieces of green ti leaf. This version is a long way from the original. […] [T]he coconut milk should be thickened with pia, the Polynesian arrowroot. […] The most highly regarded "arrowroot" is West Indian (Maranta arundinacea); […] Haupia made with this West Indian arrowroot was indeed creamier, almost gelatinous, nothing like so solid and pasty, and with a clearer flavor than haupia made with cornstarch. It is worth seeking out arrowroot, with the caveat that you may not be getting what you expect.
gloss: Other plants with similar appearance or properties, such as common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)|
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
Derived words: African arrowroot
American arrowroot
arrowroot orchid
arrowroot tea
banded arrowroot
bembam arrowroot
Bermuda arrowroot
Brazilian arrowroot
Canna arrowroot
Chinese arrowroot
East Asian arrowroot
East Indian arrowroot
Fiji arrowroot
Florida arrowroot
Guinea arrowroot
Hawaii arrowroot
Indian arrowroot
Jamaica arrowroot
Japanese arrowroot
Maranta arrowroot
Natal arrowroot
Oswego arrowroot
Polynesian arrowroot
Portland arrowroot
purple arrowroot
Queensland arrowroot
South Sea arrowroot
Tahiti arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides
St. Vincent arrowroot
true arrowroot
tulema arrowroot
West Indian arrowroot
white arrowroot
Translations: