mangrove

[ mang-grohv, man- ]

/ ˈmæŋ groʊv, ˈmæn- /

noun

any tropical tree or shrub of the genus Rhizophora, the species of which are mostly low trees growing in marshes or tidal shores, noted for their interlacing above-ground adventitious roots.

any of various similar plants.

Nearby words

Origin of mangrove

1605–15; alteration (by folk etymology) of earlier mangrow < Portuguese mangue ≪ Taino

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

Examples from the Web for mangrove

Close to the village is a mangrove swamp, and the whole bay is enclosed with high hills.
Adventures in New Guinea|James Chalmers
Birds were concentrated in the areas of mangrove swamp and on the tidal flats.
The Avifauna of Micronesia, Volume 3|Rollin H. Baker
He came from the mangrove swamp where it ran down into the sea.
Into the Primitive|Robert Ames Bennet
I perceived distinctly the course of the Exe and Arundell rivers and a line of mangrove trees along the low shore.
Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Vol 2 (of 2)|Thomas Mitchell

This humble memorial was placed in a mangrove grove off the reef itself.
Celebrated Travels and Travellers|Jules Verne

British Dictionary definitions for mangrove

mangrove

/ (ˈmæŋɡrəʊv, ˈmæn-) /

noun

any tropical evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Rhizophora, having stiltlike intertwining aerial roots and growing below the highest tide levels in estuaries and along coasts, forming dense thickets: family Rhizophoraceae
(as modifier)mangrove swamp

any of various similar trees or shrubs of the genus Avicennia: family Avicenniaceae

Word Origin for mangrove

C17 mangrow (changed through influence of grove), from Portuguese mangue, ultimately from Taino

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

Word Origin and History for mangrove

mangrove

1610s, mangrow, probably from Spanish mangle, mangue (1530s), which is perhaps from Carib or Arawakan. Modern spelling in English (1690s) is from influence of grove. A Malay origin also has been proposed, but it is difficult to explain how it came to be used for an American plant.