sisal

[sahy-suhl, sis-uhl]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sisal¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sisal¹

C19: from Mexican Spanish, named after Sisal, a port in Yucatán, Mexico

Example Sentences

The sisal plant grows naturally in the east African country and is the best material for bristle boards, lowering operating costs.

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For your feline friends, small sisal rugs or rug samples can replace scratching posts and are much more visually appealing.

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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.

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She reeled off a list of the items now too expensive: sugar, maize flour, her daughter’s school fees, the sisal to make her baskets.

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Dark gray walls and a sisal carpet make the perfect setting for early-2000s works by the English hard-edge painter Bridget Riley, all featuring her signature rolling, serif-like waves of lucid color.

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