Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
shittah tree

shittah tree

9.9
A tree mentioned in the Bible like an acacia, used for its strong wood
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɪtə ˌtri/
  • Archaic
translation icon : árbol shittah
  • The shittah tree is valued in biblical texts for its strong, resilient timber.

Examples

  • Botanists believe the shittah tree is a kind of acacia native to the Sinai region.

  • According to the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was made from shittah tree wood.

  • The ancient shittah tree was used to build the Ark of the Covenant.

  • Many shittah trees grow in arid regions of the Middle East.

  • According to the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was made from shittah tree wood.

  • The shittah tree is valued in biblical texts for its strong, resilient timber.

  • Botanists believe the shittah tree is a kind of acacia native to the Sinai region.

Synonyms

shittah
vsshittah tree
  • Archaic
9.9

A tree like an acacia with hard wood used in the Bible

is the same meaning but adds the common noun tree to the name
shittimwood
vsshittah tree
  • Archaic
9.9

A small thorny tree from the southern United States and Mexico

is the Bible species of acacia valued specifically for strong durable wood

Surface Forms

shittah tree singular
shittah trees plural

Morphology

shittah + tree

The phrase is a straightforward noun–noun composition: 'shittah' names a particular (biblical) species and 'tree' denotes a plant, so 'shittah tree' simply means a tree of the shittah/acacia type. This is a transparent, taxonomic naming pattern found cross-linguistically and would be understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings.

Etymology

The noun shittah tree comes from the Bible; shittah may be a Hebrew name for a thorny tree like the acacia. People say the Ark of the Covenant was built from shittah tree wood, so the name became linked to 'strong, durable wood'.