chamisa

noun

cha·​mi·​sa shə-ˈmē-sə How to pronounce chamisa (audio)
chə-
variants or chamiso
shə-ˈmē-(ˌ)sō How to pronounce chamisa (audio)
chə-
1
: an evergreen saltbush (Atriplex canescens) having brittle stems, yellow flowers, and winged seeds : four-wing saltbush
2
: a rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) having flexible hairy stems and yellow flowers : rubber rabbitbrush

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish chamiza, chamizo, ultimately from Spanish chamiza brushwood, kindling, from Portuguese or Galician chamiça, from chama flame, from Latin flamma — more at flame

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chamisa was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near chamisa

Chamicura

chamisa

chamisal

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Chamisa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chamisa. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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