paramo

American  

[par-uh-moh, pahr-uh-] / ˈpær əˌmoʊ, ˈpɑr ə- /

noun

plural

paramos

1. a high, cold plateau of South America.

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paramo British  

/ ˈpærəˌməʊ /

noun

1. a high plateau in the Andes between the tree line and the permanent snow line

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Etymology

Origin of paramo

First recorded in 1750–60; from South American Spanish; Spanish páramo “barren plain”; presumably of pre-Latin origin

Example Sentences

Gladly we left this cheerless tambo, though a cold, heavy mist was falling as we rode northward, over the seemingly endless paramo of Sanancajas.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James

Still ascending, we lose sight of the valley of the Chimbo, and find ourselves in a wilderness of crags and treeless mountains clothed with the long, dreary-looking paramo grass called paja.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James

And now we rapidly descended by a steep, narrow path, and over paramo and bog, to a little tambo, where we had the luxury of sleeping on a bed of straw.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James

Between Cotopaxi and Sincholagua are numerous conical hills covering the paramo, reminding one of the mud volcanoes of Jorullo.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James

They feed on the wild paramo grass, and the beef is not only remarkably cheap, but superior in quality.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James