noun
areca nut
The seed of the areca palm, often chewed as a stimulant in parts of Asia. This is the botanical term.
See also: 檳榔樹
檳榔子は、東南アジアで噛みタバコの材料として使われる。
Areca nut is used as an ingredient in chewing tobacco in Southeast Asia.
noun
betel nut
Colloquial term for the areca nut, often used when referring to its use in betel quid. In everyday language, ビンロウジ is more common than the formal 檳榔子.
市場でビンロウジを買った。
I bought betel nuts at the market.
Refers to the areca palm tree itself, while 檳榔子/ビンロウジ refers specifically to the nut.
The word is a compound of 檳榔 (areca palm) and 子 (seed/nut). The reading びんろう is likely derived from Chinese. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.