Bē'tel, n.

(bē'tl), n. [Fr. bétel, Sp. betle, betel, brete, Pg. betel, bethel, betelhe, betere, Malabar beetla-codi, Skr. & Malay. patra, Malabar leaf, from its growing in the mountainous parts of Malabar; Per. & Hind. tāmbūl, Skr. tāmbūla, tāmbūli, betel, the areca-nut.] (Bot.) A species of pepper (Piper betel), the leaves of which are chewed, with the areca or betel-nut and a little shell-lime, by the inhabitants of the East Indies. It is a creeping or climbing plant, like the ivy, the leaves somewhat resembling those of the citron.