esparto

or espar·to grass

[ ih-spahr-toh ]

/ ɪˈspɑr toʊ /

noun, plural es·par·tos.

any of several grasses, especially Stipa tenacissima, of southern Europe and northern Africa, used for making paper, cordage, etc.

Nearby words

Origin of esparto

1585–95; < Spanish < Latin spartum < Greek spárton rope made of spártos kind of rush

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for esparto

Esparto is a kind of grass now much used in the manufacture of paper.
Hours of Exercise in the Alps|John Tyndall
The only method of distinguishing between straw and esparto is by examination with the microscope.
The Manufacture of Paper|Robert Walter Sindall
Nowadays a much wider outlet has been found for esparto grass, and it is grown artificially.
The Mediterranean|T. G. (Thomas Gray) Bonney, E. A. R. Ball, H. D. Traill, Grant Allen, and Arthur Griffiths
Alfa, al′fa, n. an African name for esparto grass—also spelt Halfa.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

Almost all the animal life of the Sahara is deadly, and the esparto grass picker is constantly facing danger.
Wealth of the World's Waste Places and Oceania |Jewett Castello Gilson

British Dictionary definitions for esparto

esparto

esparto grass

/ (ɛˈspɑːtəʊ) /

noun plural -tos

any of various grasses, esp Stipa tenacissima of S Europe and N Africa, that yield a fibre used to make ropes, mats, etc

Word Origin for esparto

C18: from Spanish, via Latin from Greek sparton rope made of rushes, from spartos a kind of rush

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