sisal

[ sahy-suhl, sis-uhl ]

/ ˈsaɪ səl, ˈsɪs əl /

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noun

Also called sisal hemp . a fiber yielded by an agave, Agave sisalana, of Yucatán, used for making rope, rugs, etc.

the plant itself.

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Origin of sisal

1835–45; short for Sisal grass or hemp, named after Sisal, port in Yucatán

Words nearby sisal

sirup, sirupy, sirvente, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, sis, sisal, siscowet, Sisera, Sisinnius, siskin, Sisler

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sisal in a sentence

Amadeo Sanchez told the judge that he was 8 at the time of the massacre and had survived by fleeing into corn and sisal fields with his father.
Survivors and Families of Victims of a 1981 El Salvador Massacre See Justice Slip Away Again|by Raymond Bonner and Nelson Rauda for ProPublica|September 13, 2021|ProPublica
Sisal also lacks the flexibility of Manila, being much more stiff and harsh.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
The development of the self-binding reaper on our western grain-fields has opened a gold mine for Sisal cordage.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
Sisal hemp, which I found much like our yucca or "bear grass," is but little grown.
Where Half The World Is Waking Up|Clarence Poe

And Yucatan is the only spot in the world where sisal can be grown in commercial quantities.
The Romance of the Reaper|Herbert Newton Casson
Sisal-grass, sis′al-gras, n. the prepared fibre of the agave or American aloe, supplying cordage.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sisal

sisal

/ (ˈsaɪsəl) /

noun

a Mexican agave plant, Agave sisalana, cultivated for its large fleshy leaves, which yield a stiff fibre used for making rope

the fibre of this plant

any of the fibres of certain similar or related plants

Also called: sisal hemp

Word Origin for sisal

C19: from Mexican Spanish, named after Sisal, a port in Yucatán, Mexico

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012