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sisal

American  
[sahy-suhl, sis-uhl] / ˈsaɪ səl, ˈsɪs əl /

noun

  1. Also called sisal hemp.  a fiber yielded by an agave, Agave sisalana, of Yucatán, used for making rope, rugs, etc.

  2. the plant itself.


sisal British  
/ ˈsaɪsəl /

noun

  1. a Mexican agave plant, Agave sisalana, cultivated for its large fleshy leaves, which yield a stiff fibre used for making rope

  2. the fibre of this plant

  3. any of the fibres of certain similar or related plants

"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

Etymology

Origin of sisal

1835–45; short for Sisal grass or hemp, named after Sisal, port in Yucatán

Vocabulary lists containing sisal

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

For indoor rugs, rather than moving all the furniture, you can pop a fuzzy rug over your cotton or sisal rug until the robins start singing.

From Seattle Times Dec. 1, 2023

"For instance, pairing a plush sheepskin accent rug on top of a woven sisal rug is a great way to contrast the two materials in a soft yet effective way."

From Salon Jul. 29, 2022

Nimco Abdi gently places her six-month-old baby girl onto a plastic basin supported with sisal ropes.

From BBC Apr. 10, 2022

His father drove a tractor at a nearby sisal plantation but lost his job when it closed, according to interviews with local residents.

From New York Times Dec. 12, 2021

My grandmother was sitting in the rocking chair in front of our house, making knots in the sisal rope around her waist.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

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