balsa

noun

bal·​sa ˈbȯl-sə 

1

: a small raft or boat

specifically : one made of tightly bundled reeds and used on Lake Titicaca

2

: a tropical American tree (Ochroma pyramidale synonym O. lagopus) of the silk-cotton family with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats

also : its wood

Examples of balsa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although sometimes dismissed as a bunch of guys in rubber suits pushing each other into balsa wood skyscrapers (and what’s wrong with that?!), the Godzilla series is a triumph of sci-fi world-building and practical effects. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024

The ornate balsa wood panel had previously been displayed at a Planet Hollywood in Orlando, Florida before being stored in their archives for some two decades, the auction house told CNN. —Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024

What prompted the winning bidder to pay more than $700,000 for a balsa wood prop remains a mystery. —Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024

The pendulum-like mechanism was on ropes, and Buckley says there was a foot of balsa wood that was supposed to prevent any injury. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

For the first 30 years, my prosthesis was balsa wood with a simple mechanical knee. —Jothy Rosenberg, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

The way all this plays out is lighter than balsa wood. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023

Across the room, a balsa prototype of the iconic, spiderlike rigging used on U2’s 360° tour leans off an easel spattered with inky sketches. —WIRED, 4 Oct. 2023

The floor boards are a composite of fiberglass and balsa wood. —Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

balsa

noun

bal·​sa ˈbȯl-sə 

1

: raft entry 1

especially : one made of two cylinders of metal or wood joined by a frame

2

: a tropical American tree with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats

also : its wood