chaparral

noun chap·ar·ral \ 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

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Examples of chaparral in a Sentence

the rabbit darted into the chaparral

Recent Examples of chaparral from the Web

The blaze is burning in thick chaparral that has not seen a fire in more than 40 years.

— Washington Post, "Arizona braces for winds as wildfires sweep West," 29 June 2017
Two other buildings burned in San Luis Obispo County, where the fire is 65 percent contained after scorching 2 ½ -square miles of grass and 12-foot-high chaparral.

— chris woodyard, USA TODAY, "Southern California brush fire threatens expensive homes," 28 June 2017
Near Big Bear, firefighters battled an 850-acre wildfire that erupted Monday afternoon and swiftly burned through grass and chaparral.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Scorching Southern California heat wave expected to peak Tuesday," 19 June 2017
Chaparrals coach Kevin Tyrrell played him in 46 of 55 games.

— tony baranek, Daily Southtown, "Baranek: Shepard grad Kevin Carmody takes advantage of healthy start at DuPage," 25 May 2017
Continuing on, the trail dipped into the forest of spruce and chaparral.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Just an hour north of the busy Bay Area, taking in the zen at Stinson Beach," 4 Jan. 2017
It is believed to have formed naturally, with white sage growing in soil consisting of light gray granite and white quartz that contrasts with the surrounding chaparral and greasewood.

— mike mcphate, New York Times, "California Today: An Outpouring of Support in Oakland," 6 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chaparral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chaparral

Spanish, from chaparro dwarf evergreen oak, from Basque txapar

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First Known Use: 1845

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chaparral Synonyms

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

CHAPARRAL Defined for English Language Learners

chaparral

noun

Definition of chaparral for English Language Learners

: an area of dry land especially in southern California that is covered with bushes and short trees

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chaparral

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