[Fr.] The date palm-tree and its fruit. The fruit is shaped like an olive, is sweet and wholesome, and has a hard kernel. It is the chief article of food of the natives of Arabia and North Africa, and is their principal source of wealth. The tree rises to a height of 60 feet, with a crown of large feathery leaves and flowerstalks, and white flowers that are followed by the fruit in bunches. The leaves are used as thatch, the sap by fermentation is made into wine, and the wood is useful for furniture and in building.