chinampa

[ chi-nam-puh ]

/ tʃɪˈnæm pə /

noun

(in Mesoamerica) a long and narrow floating field on a shallow lake bed, artificially built up by layering soil, sediment, and decaying vegetation and used, especially by the Aztecs, to grow crops.

Nearby words

Origin of chinampa

1830–40; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl < chinamitl area enclosed by canes + pa on

Examples from the Web for chinampa

In the quiet and perfumed shade of the chinampa he rested, and soothed the fever of his wound.
The Fair God|Lew Wallace
Viewed from a distance, the chinampa looked like an island of flowers.
The Fair God|Lew Wallace
The chinampa, at its anchorage, swung lightly, like an Indian cradle pendulous in the air.
The Fair God|Lew Wallace
Besides that, he killed or wounded near a score of chinampa owners, and set their canoes adrift.
The White Conquerors|Kirk Munroe

A chinampa was a floating island in the lake of Tezcuco, upon whose very bosom the imperial city was built.
Sketches of Aboriginal Life|V. V. Vide