▪ I. obeche
(əʊˈbiːtʃiː)
[Bini name in Nigeria.]
A large West African tree, Triplochiton scleroxylon, of the family Sterculiaceæ, found in lowland forests; also its light-coloured timber. Also attrib.
| 1908 H. N. Thompson in Kew Bull. 195 ‘Satinwood’, ‘Obeche’... At the Liverpool Market..it was classified as Satinwood... It is a very common tree. 1934 Jrnl. R. Aeronaut Soc. XXXVIII. 56 One of the most remarkable instances of clean fracture is in the West African Obeche... This wood is relatively new to commerce, and is being used..for motor-body work. 1956 Handbk. Hardwoods (Forest Prod. Res. Lab.) 171 Obeche grows to a height of 150 ft...Obeche is nearly white to pale straw in colour with no clear distinction between sapwood and heartwood. 1958 Archit. Rev. CXXIV. 41/1 The wall is of a natural obeche timber. 1965 W. Soyinka Road 27 And high class timber kid. High class. Golden walnut. Obeche. Iron⁓wood. 1971 Country Life 1 Apr. 731/2 My obeche wood decoys have been admired a great deal in the five or six years since I made them. 1972 Timber Trades Jrnl. 13 May 47/2 Among the species displayed by Lathams were two hardwoods—guarea and obeche—which were comparatively unknown at the time [sc. 1925]. |
▪ II. obeche
var. obeish Obs., to obey.