chaparral

noun

chap·​ar·​ral ˌsha-pə-ˈral 

-ˈrel

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

Synonyms

• grove
• forest
• thicket
• brushwood
• bosque
• copse
• coppice
• bush
• brake
• jungle
• boskage

Examples of chaparral in a Sentence

the rabbit darted into the chaparral

Recent Examples on the Web

But Voters Side With Trump Over Musk Add visiting the Morro Bay State Park to hike through salt marshes and coastal trails or walking along the boardwalk through pygmy oaks and chaparral in Elfin Forest to the itinerary. —Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

The next time fire rips through the chaparral in surrounding hills (a question of when, not if) this cluster of homes is being built to keep the flames at the subdivision’s edge. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025

Much of that region is covered by chaparral and grassland, which can be very flammable. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025

La Jolla Walk-In Campsite The La Jolla Walk-In Campsite is a small campground in dense chaparral in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from chaparro dwarf evergreen oak, from Basque txapar

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chaparral

• chaparral cock

Rhymes for chaparral

• ileal
• musicale
• perceval
• rationale
• supernal
• bal
• dal
• gal
• mal
• pal
• sal
• shall

Kids Definition

chaparral

noun

chap·​ar·​ral ˌshap-ə-ˈral 

-ˈrel

1

: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks

also : a dense thicket

2

: an ecological community that is found especially in parts of southern California and is composed of shrubby plants that grow well in dry sunny summers and moist winters