selva

[ sel-vuh ]

noun
  1. a tropical rainforest, as that in the Amazon basin of South America.

Origin of selva

1
First recorded in 1840–50; from Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese: literally “forest,” from Latin silva; see origin at silva

Words Nearby selva

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use selva in a sentence

  • The bells became silent, and Signora selva, fixing her blue eyes on her husband's eager gaze, offered him her lips.

    The Saint | Antonio Fogazzaro
  • They came to selva when he was passing through a dark crisis, a bitter struggle, which need not be related here.

    The Saint | Antonio Fogazzaro
  • selva himself seemed slightly annoyed, because unanimity of opinion on certain fundamental principles was surely necessary.

    The Saint | Antonio Fogazzaro
  • The light was fading in Giovanni selva's study, and on the little table covered with books and papers.

    The Saint | Antonio Fogazzaro
  • selva felt that the souls which had been united by a first impulse were drifting apart again.

    The Saint | Antonio Fogazzaro

British Dictionary definitions for selva

selva

/ (ˈsɛlvə) /


noun
  1. dense equatorial forest, esp in the Amazon basin, characterized by tall broad-leaved evergreen trees, epiphytes, lianas, etc

  2. a tract of such forest

Origin of selva

1
C19: from Spanish and Portuguese, from Latin silva forest

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012