1. a West African tree whose bark contains a poisonous substance traditionally used in trial by ordeal
Usage: historical; botanical

Examples

• The accused was forced to drink sasswood extract as part of the traditional trial.
• Sasswood grows naturally in the forests of Liberia and Sierra Leone.
• The bark of the sasswood tree contains toxic compounds.
• Colonial authorities banned the use of sasswood in legal proceedings.
• Local healers knew which parts of the sasswood were most dangerous.
• The sasswood ordeal was a feared method of determining guilt or innocence.