Palisander
/ˌpælɪˈsændər/noun
A hard, richly colored tropical wood, especially rosewood, used in furniture and musical instruments.
Did you know?The word’s European forms were probably influenced by palissade, the French word for a defensive fence of sharpened stakes, even though the wood itself came from tropical trees.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern Period
Portuguese
pau-santo
““Holy wood”; a proposed source connected with fragrant or valuable imported timber”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
palisandro
“Rosewood or a similar imported tropical wood”
17th Century
French
palissandre
“Rosewood; a form probably reshaped under the influence of palissade”
17th–18th Century
German
Palisander
“Rosewood or richly colored tropical timber”
18th Century
English
palisander
“A rosewood-like tropical hardwood used for veneers, furniture, and instruments”