chaparral
/ˌʃæp.əˈɹæl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.55 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A region of shrubs, typically dry in the summer and rainy in the winter. The coast of the Mediterranean is such a region.
American usage; Countable; Uncountable
noun
The foliage of creosote bush, Larrea divaricata, when used as a medicinal herb.
Countable; Uncountable
name
A neighbourhood in south-east Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
name
A census-designated place in Doña Ana County and Otero County, New Mexico, United States.
name
A town and municipality in Tolima department, Colombia.
Example Sentences
- "It was quite dark when, after an arduous climb, the sheriff made his tortuous way through the chaparral to the point where Anthony Garland should be stationed."
- "Have you ever been south of Monterey? / Barrancas carve the coastline / And the chaparral flows to the sea / 'Neath waves of golden sunshine"
- "“Look at all the chaparral on California’s coast — it’s all about surviving that kind of fire cycle.”"
Etymology
From Spanish chaparral, from chaparro (“evergreen oak”) + -al, from Basque txaparro, from txapar, from sapar.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: chaparral, txaparro
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌʃæp.əˈɹæl/
- British English: /ˌʃæp.əˈɹæl/
Usage
- American usage
- Countable
- Uncountable