nipa

[nee-puh]

noun

a palm, Nypa fruticans, of India, the Philippines, etc., whose foliage is used for thatching, basketry, etc.

Origin of nipa

1580–90; < New Latin < Malay nipah

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

Examples from the Web for nipa

Historical Examples of nipa

Their Christmas-tree will be the royal palm; and nipa boughs their mistletoe.
The Great White Tribe in Filipinia
Paul T. Gilbert
The windows are of translucent shell, while the door is of nipa or wood.
The Critic in the Orient
George Hamlin Fitch
Each picks out his own little roof of nipa, tile, zinc, or palm.
An Eagle Flight
Jos Rizal
For the latter, however, nipa palm and cógon grass are preferred.
The Philippine Islands
Ramon Reyes Lala
There are, besides, 100 Indian huts (chozas) constructed of the nipa palm.
A Visit to the Philippine Islands
John Bowring

British Dictionary definitions for nipa

nipa

noun

a palm tree, Nipa fruticans, of S and SE Asia, having feathery leaves, used for thatching, and edible fruit
the fruit or thatch obtained from this tree
the sap of this tree, used to make a liquor

Word Origin for nipa

C16: from Malay nīpah

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