chaparral

[shap-uh-ral, chap-]

noun

Southwestern U.S.

1. a dense growth of shrubs or small trees.

chaparral

/ ˌtʃæpəˈræl, ˌʃæp- /

noun

1. (in the southwestern US) a dense growth of shrubs and trees, esp evergreen oaks

Word History and Origins

Origin of chaparral¹

1835–45, < Spanish, equivalent to chaparr ( o ) evergreen oak (< Basque tshapar ) + -al collective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of chaparral¹

C19: from Spanish, from chaparra evergreen oak

Example Sentences

Visitors will encounter pollinator gardens alive with butterflies and hummingbirds, color-themed landscapes, and cascading water features, all designed to reflect the beauty of Southern California’s environment with scents of rosemary, jasmine and chaparral.

From Los Angeles Times

Amid California’s coastal sage scrub and chaparral ecosystems that are plagued with frequent fast-moving fires, preventing ignitions and stamping out fires before they become unmanageable is the name of the game.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a landscape of scrubby shrubs and chaparral and grasses.

From Los Angeles Times

We built fast, we built cheaply, we built for the view and not for the fire-prone chaparral ecology we were building into.

From Los Angeles Times

As of Saturday evening, the fire was 5% contained and continuing to chew through the tall, dry grass and chaparral that covers the steep hills and mountains.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• forest 
• wasteland 
• wood