Anacardium
/ˌænəˈkɑːrdiəm/noun
A genus of tropical trees and shrubs in the cashew family, including the cashew tree.
Did you know?Anacardium comes from Greek words for “up” and “heart,” originally referring to the shape of the fruit or nut, not any occult symbol—yet it became the scientific name of a plant whose seed is famously hidden inside a toxic shell.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GRK
aná- + kardía
“'up' or 'again' + 'heart'”
Latin
LAT
anacardium
“a plant name borrowed from Greek, used in classical and later botanical writing”
Medieval Latin
LAT
anacardium
“the cashew tree or its fruit/nut in learned herbals”
16th-18th Century
ENG
anacardium
“a botanical term for the cashew and related plants in scientific usage”
Modern English
ENG
Anacardium
“a genus name in botanical taxonomy, especially the cashew tree”