- mesquite
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/me skeet", mes"keet/, n.1. any of several usually spiny trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Prosopis, of the legume family, as P. juliflora or P. glandulosa, of western North America, having bipinnate leaves and beanlike pods and often forming dense thickets.2. the wood of such a tree or shrub, used esp. in grilling or barbecuing food.3. any of various similar or related plants.Also, mesquit.[1830-40, Amer.; < MexSp mezquite < Nahuatl mizquitl]
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Any of the spiny, deep-rooted shrubs or small trees that make up the genus Prosopis of the pea family (see legume).Mesquites form extensive thickets in areas from South America to the southwestern U.S. Two races occur: one of tall trees (50 ft [15 m]), the other low and far-reaching, called running mesquite. Water-seeking roots grow as deep as 70 ft (20 m). Stems bear compound olive-green to white hairy leaves, then dense, cream-coloured catkins of flowers, followed by clusters of long, narrow, pale yellow beans. In warmer parts of the U.S., mesquites are considered pests and are eradicated. Cattle eat the beans, which contain a sweet pulp. The wood, formerly used in railroad ties, now has value only for unusual furniture and trinkets and as aromatic firewood.* * *
city, Dallas county, northeastern Texas, U.S., adjacent to the city of Dallas (west). It was established in 1873 when the Texas and Pacific Railway acquired land for the town site (named for the mesquite shrubs that once covered the area), built a depot, and offered lots for sale. Until the 1950s Mesquite was primarily an agricultural town, and its population was quite small; after World War II, however, the city grew rapidly as the Dallas–Fort Worth area expanded. The city developed as a residential, industrial, and retail centre with many of its residents employed in Dallas, and it experienced rapid expansion in the second half of the 20th century. Tourist attractions include the Mesquite Championship Rodeo (weekends April through October) and an annual balloon festival, and the city boasts a well-equipped performing arts centre. Mesquite is the seat of Eastfield (community) College (1970). Inc. 1887. Pop. (1990) 101,484; (2000) 124,523.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
