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

Horticultural invasives, such as butterfly bush, English ivy, pampas grass and many other garden favorites that have escaped cultivation, are of increasing concern.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2024

On the pampas they may have been equally valued for their relatively fatty meat.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 7, 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

Outside the city, on the broad and dusty plain of the pampas, is the landscape that provides the country its power.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 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