Mesquite \Mes*qui"te\ (m[e^]s*k[=e]"t[asl]), Mesquit \Mes*quit"\
(m[e^]s*k[=e]t"), n. [Sp. mezquite; said to be a Mexican
Indian word.] (Bot.)
Aany of several small spiny trees or shrubs of the
southwestern part of North America belonging to the genus
{Prosopis} having small flowers in axillary cylindrical
spikes followed by large sugar-rich pods, especially the
{honey mesquite}, and {screw-pod mesquite}.
[1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
{Honey mesquite}. See {Algaroba}
(b) .
{Screw-pod mesquite}, a smaller tree ({Prosopis pubescens}),
having spiral pods used as fodder and sometimes as food by
the Indians.
{Mesquite grass}, a rich native grass in Western Texas
({Bouteloua oligostachya}, and other species); -- so
called from its growing in company with the mesquite tree;
-- called also {muskit grass}, {grama grass}.
[1913 Webster]