pampas

American  

[pam-puhz, pam-puhs, pahm-pahs] / ˈpæm pəz, ˈpæm pəs, ˈpɑm pɑs /

plural noun

singular

pampa

1. the vast grassy plains of southern South America, especially in Argentina.

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pampas British  

/ pæmˈpiːən, ˈpæmpɪən, ˈpæmpəz /

noun

1. (functioning as singular or more often plural)

   1. the extensive grassy plains of temperate South America, esp in Argentina

   2. ( as modifier )

      pampas dwellers

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Other Word Forms

• pampean adjective

Etymology

Origin of pampas

First recorded in 1695–1705; from Latin American Spanish, plural of pampa, from Quechua: “flat, unbounded plain”

Example Sentences

Whereas glass scrapers were an incremental improvement over flint and obsidian, the introduction of the horse sparked a profound shift on the open grasslands, or pampas, of Patagonia.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 7, 2023

“Fall is the perfect time to scavenge for materials to use in your décor — pampas grass, pine cones, acorns, bittersweet, pussy willows, branches of leaves, dried hydrangeas, and whatever else you can find.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2023

He pointed to a cavernous undercut that likely destabilized the bluff and noted the clusters of pampas grass, a fluffy, straw-colored weed that wedges its roots into the rocky cracks and joints.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2023

It was brought to Argentina's sprawling plains, or pampas, by British immigrants in the late 1800s, where it found a home alongside the South American country's iconic gaucho cowboys.

From Reuters • Apr. 12, 2022

Beside this tiny stream, wherever enough earth collected for root-hold, colonies of plants grew, wild grape and little palms, maidenhair fern, hibiscus, and tall pampas grass with feathery rods raised above the spike leaves.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe