n. 1. a shrubby tree of the U. S. Pacific coast (Rhamnus purshianus or Rhamnus purshiana), whose bark is the cascara sagrada, used as a mild cathartic or laxative.
Syn. -- cascara, cascara buckthorn, bearberry, bearwood, chittimwood, Rhamnus purshianus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a deciduous tree of SE U.S. and Mexico.
Syn. -- false buckthorn, chittimwood, shittimwood, black haw, Bumelia lanuginosa. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. a shrubby tree of southern U.S. (Cotinus obovatus) having large plumes of feathery flowers resembling puffs of smoke; -- called also American smoke tree.
Syn. -- American smokewood, Cotinus americanus, Cotinus obovatus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]