palmetto

noun

pal·​met·​to pal-ˈme-(ˌ)tō 

also pä-, 

päl-, 

pȯ-, 

pȯl-

plural palmettos or palmettoes

1

: any of several usually low-growing fan-leaved palms

especially : cabbage palmetto

2

: strips of the leaf blade of a palmetto used in weaving

Illustration of palmetto

• palmetto 1

Examples of palmetto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ruggeri says that, in comparison to saw palmetto, which gets far more attention. —Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 19 Feb. 2026

Saw palmetto extract comes from the fruit of a saw palmetto tree, a small palm tree that grows in the Southeastern United States. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026

From the saw palmetto tree, palmetto berries are native to southeastern North America. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2026

Explore Fort Moultrie Still under construction as the Revolutionary War began, this coastal garrison (the island’s first) was notably built from palmetto logs and sand. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

modification of Spanish palmito, from palma palm, from Latin

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing palmetto

• cabbage palmetto
• palmetto bass
• palmetto bug
• saw palmetto

Rhymes for palmetto

• hereto
• libretto
• magneto
• stiletto
• whereto
• allegretto
• lazaretto
• ghetto
• seto

Kids Definition

palmetto

noun

pal·​met·​to pal-ˈmet-ō 

plural palmettos or palmettoes

: any of several usually low-growing palms with fan-shaped leaves