Cascara
/ˈkæskərə/noun
The dried bark of a buckthorn tree, used as a laxative and in herbal preparations.
Did you know?Cascara comes from Spanish cáscara, meaning “shell” or “husk,” which traces back to Latin quassare, “to shake” or “to shatter,” a root that also gave English words like “quash” and “quash.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
quassare
“to shake, jolt, or shatter”
Medieval Latin
Latin
cascare
“to break or crack open; shell, husk”
Old Spanish
Spanish
cáscara
“shell, husk, rind, bark”
19th Century
English
cascara
“the bark of certain buckthorn species used medicinally”
Modern English
English
cascara
“the dried bark of a buckthorn tree, especially as a laxative or flavoring”