milpa

American  

[mil-puh] / ˈmɪl pə /

noun

1. (in certain tropical regions) a tract of land cleared from the jungle, usually by burning, farmed for a few seasons, and then abandoned.

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Etymology

Origin of milpa

1835–45, < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl mīlpan, equivalent to mīl ( li ) cultivated field + -pan locative suffix

Example Sentences

What attracted us to the milpa was not just this romantic ideal of ancient wisdom.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2024

In my book, "Rooting in a Useless Land: Ancient Farmers, Celebrity Chefs, and Environmental Justice in Yucatán," I trace the deep history of the Maya milpa.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2024

As soon as his companion woke up, he would take the animal home, where it helps plow the milpa — rows of corn, beans and squash — on his family’s farm.

From New York Times • May 9, 2023

All of the land is communally owned, divvied up by a town council into small plots where residents practice traditional milpa subsistence agriculture rotating maize, beans, chilis, squash, and agave.

From Slate • Dec. 12, 2016

Indian farmers grow maize in what is called a milpa.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann