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palapa

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

noun

palapas plural
  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.


Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

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.

Enjoy lobsters, shrimp, freshly caught finfish and oysters under a seaside palapa with your feet in the sand.

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2022

And we wanted to create the feeling of a seaside palapa, in Mexico City.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2019

Wild Mangos, 42 Barrier Reef Drive, San Pedro; 011-501-226-2859; facebook.com/wildmangosbelize; Caribbean-oriented cuisine under a beachside palapa.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2017

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

From The New Yorker • Jul. 28, 2016

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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