boojum

noun boo·jum \ˈbü-jəm\

Definition of BOOJUM

: a tall spiny long-lived desert tree (Fouquieria columnaris syn. Idria columnaris) native to northwestern Mexico and related to the ocotillo

perhaps from boojum, an imaginary creature in The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll; from its grotesque appearance

First Known Use: 1951

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