rooibos
UK /ˈɹɔɪ.bɒs/ · US /ˈɹɔɪˌbɔs/ noun
Forms rooibosch
- noun (South Africa) A shrub (Aspalathus linearis) from which a tisane (herbal tea) is made.
- noun The tisane (herbal tea) made from this plant.
- noun (South Africa) Various shrubs of the genus Combretum.
Synonyms
redbush rooibos tea Aspalathus linearis Aspalathus cedcarbergensis
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Afrikaans rooibos (literally “redbush”), from Dutch rooi (“red”) + bos (“bush”). Compare related honeybush via Afrikaans heuningbos from heuning (“honey”) + bos (“bush”).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “rooibos”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details