- an aromatic balsam obtained from a South American tree, Myroxylon balsamum
See balsam
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
to•lu
(tô lo̅o̅′, tə-),USA pronunciation n.
- Also called tolu′ bal′sam, balsam of tolu, tolu resin. a fragrant, yellowish-brown balsam or resin obtained from a South American leguminous tree, Myroxylon balsamum, and used in medicine as a stomachic and expectorant, and in perfumery.
- the tree itself.
- after Tolú (now Santiago de Tolú) in Colombia, where balsam is obtained 1665–75
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
tolu /tɒˈluː/ n
'tolu' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
balsam
- toluene
- toluic acid
- toluidine
- toluyl
- balsam of tolu
- diethyltoluamide
- phentolamine
- photoluminescence
- toluate
- toluic
- toluol
- tolu resin