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Definition of "henequen" [henequen]

  • A tropical American plant (Agave fourcroydes) having large, thick, sword-shaped leaves that yield a coarse reddish fiber used in making rope and twine. (noun)
  • The fiber obtained from this plant. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "henequen" in a sentence
  • "Today, with renewed interest in natural fibres and the high cost of petroleum, henequen is enjoying resurgence."
  • "Supplanted by nylon, sisal, as henequen is also known, has steadily fallen out of favor over the past several decades and is no longer grown on a large scale."
  • "While henequen is still grown and has commercial use for carpets and cloth sacks, the heyday is over."