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palapa

American  
[puh-lah-puh, pah-lah-pah] / pəˈlɑ pə, pɑˈlɑ pɑ /

noun

plural

palapas
  1. a simple, thatched-roof dwelling, usually open on the sides.

  2. any building resembling this, especially in a resort area, as a restaurant, beachhouse, or the like.


Etymology

Origin of palapa

Perhaps < Mexican Spanish: a kind of palm tree

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And we didn't have the budget to make a real palapa, so we put petates, which are the mats, the floor mats.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2019

Options include treatments beneath a curtain-draped palapa on the beach or within multiple spas.

From Washington Post • Feb. 21, 2019

The house was a palapa, the roof made of thatched palm.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 28, 2016

The sky was overcast and a cool, salty mist dampened our skin as we settled into beach chairs under a palapa.

From New York Times • Sep. 12, 2014

Fodor�s describes the resort as �luxury palapa suites among the trees, with more outdoor than indoor living.�

From Time Magazine Archive