chaparral

chap·ar·ral

noun \ˌsha-pə-ˈral, -ˈrel\

Definition of CHAPARRAL

1

: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks; broadly : a dense impenetrable thicket of shrubs or dwarf trees

2

: an ecological community composed of shrubby plants adapted to dry summers and moist winters that occurs especially in southern California

Examples of CHAPARRAL

1. <the rabbit darted into the chaparral>

Origin of CHAPARRAL

Spanish, from chaparro dwarf evergreen oak, from Basque txapar

First Known Use: 1845

Related to CHAPARRAL

Synonyms

boscage (also boskage), bosk (or bosque), bosquet, brake, brushwood, thicket, coppice, copse, covert

Related Words

canebrake; brush, bush, scrub, scrubland; bramble, jungle, tangle; grove, hedge, stand, woodlot; forest, greenwood, wildwood, wood, woodland

Rhymes with CHAPARRAL

bacchanal, caracal, femme fatale, musicale, pedocal, rationale, retinal, Seconal

chaparral

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Vegetation composed of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs, bushes, and small trees, often forming dense thickets. Chaparral is found in regions with a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The name is applied mainly to the coastal and inland mountain vegetation of southwestern North America. Chaparral vegetation becomes extremely dry by late summer. The fires that commonly occur during this period are necessary for the germination of many shrub seeds, and they clear away dense ground cover, thus maintaining the shrubby growth form of the vegetation by preventing the spread of trees. New chaparral growth provides good grazing for domestic livestock, and chaparral vegetation also is valuable for watershed protection in areas with steep, easily eroded slopes.