Acapou
/ˈækəpuː/noun
A tropical South American tree, especially Vouacapoua americana, valued for its durable timber.
Did you know?Acapou is associated with the timber tree Vouacapoua americana, whose dense wood made it commercially important in tropical South America.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European contact
Indigenous Guiana
acapou
“A local name for a tropical timber tree; the precise source language is uncertain.”
18th Century
French
acapou
“A Guianan tree or its valuable wood, recorded in French colonial and natural-history vocabulary.”
1775
Latin
Vouacapoua americana
“Botanical name assigned to the American species by French botanist Jean Baptiste Christophe Aublet.”
18th–19th Century
English
acapou
“An English borrowing referring to the South American tree and its timber.”
Modern English
English
acapou
“A specialized name for the tree, particularly Vouacapoua americana, or its wood.”
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