wait-a-bit
English
editEtymology 1
editFrom Afrikaans wag-'n-bietjie.
Noun
editwait-a-bit (plural wait-a-bits)
- Any of certain plants with sharp hooked thorns found in southern and eastern Africa.
- (South Africa) One of numerous acacias and mimosas and relatives.
- Ziziphus mucronata (buffalo thorn, Cape thorn)
- The grapple plant (Uncarina leptocarpa).
- Asparagus spp. of South Africa (Asparagus capensis, Asparagus suaveolens, Asparagus burchellii, Asparagus mariae, Asparagus flavicaulis, Asparagus spinescens)
Etymology 2
editFrom the delay caused by the recurved thorns.
Noun
editwait-a-bit (plural wait-a-bits)
- Certain thorny shrubs and trees of North America
- The common prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum).
- The greenbrier (Smilax spp., esp. Smilax rotundifolia)
- Any of various species of hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli, etc.).
- Mimosa aculeaticarpa (catclaw mimosa, wait-a-minute bush), of southwestern US and northern Mexico.
- Senegalia greggii (catclaw acacia), of southwestern US and northern Mexico.
See also
editReferences
edit- wait-a-minute tree on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- “wait-a-bit”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.