false dogwood fal·se·dog·wood uncommon noun 1. evergreen of tropical America having pulpy fruit containing saponin which was used as soap by native Americans SynonymsChina treefalse dogwoodjaboncillochinaberrySapindus saponaria Related words Broader terms soapberry Parts Sapindus WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.