Cascara

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of plant extract derived from the bark of a buckthorn tree, often used as a natural laxative in herbal medicine
2. Referring to a herbal remedy made from the dried bark of specific shrubs, commonly utilized for digestive health
3. Describing a traditional herbal product that serves as a stimulant for bowel movements, particularly valued in natural therapies

Etymology: Cascara is Spanish for "bark" or "husk," and the English noun took its name from the bark of a North American tree. The plant is Frangula purshiana (formerly Rhamnus purshiana), a buckthorn native to the Pacific coast of North America, whose bark has long been used as a laxative. The Spanish word was borrowed into English to name the product made from that bark, and the herb's bark, rather than its leaves or berries, gave the remedy its name. The word stayed with the herbal preparation rather than the tree itself. Its meaning is therefore narrow: it describes a traditional stimulant for bowel movements, prized in natural therapies, rather than the plant or its bark in general.