chaparral

noun chap·ar·ral \ ˌsha-pə-ˈral , -ˈrel \

|Updated on: 2 Jul 2018

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 chaparral had grown as tall as 10 feet and was nearly impenetrable in places, according to fire officials.

— anne ryman, azcentral, "Granite Mountain Hotshots: An untold story from the day 19 firefighters died," 23 June 2018
Fall and spring itineraries begin in Prescott, with cyclists traveling through the chaparral, piñon, juniper and ponderosa forests to the 54-mile Skull Valley Loop cycling challenge.

— rosemary mcclure, latimes.com, "It's all about the red rocks on Northern Arizona biking adventure," 30 May 2018
In the 1970s Saucelito Canyon’s Bill Greenough restored the vines, which had been overgrown by dense chaparral.

— matt jaffe, Los Angeles Magazine, "San Luis Obispo Has Ocean Breezes—and Two Wine Regions," 27 Apr. 2018
Nearly 2,000 miles of rivers, desert, chaparral and fencing separate the United States and Mexico, and a wall advocated by President Donald Trump could soon be built along some parts of the border.

— daniel wheaton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Border Overview," 14 Mar. 2018
The lakes, Crystal Springs, San Andreas and Pilarcitos, are surrounded by 23,000 acres of woodlands and chaparral.

— bill van niekerken, San Francisco Chronicle, "Hetch Hetchy water’s long trip from Sierra to San Francisco," 6 Mar. 2018
This is a vehicle that validates the rugged individualist who, ready for adventure and desperate for authenticity, may never leave Highland Avenue for the high chaparral.

— charles fleming, latimes.com, "2018 Jeep Wrangler is a rough rider, on and off the pavement," 2 Mar. 2018
In certain vegetation types, like chaparral and coniferous forests, fires will vaporize organic compounds found in the leaf litter.

— lee macdonald, Washington Post, "Those deadly mudslides you’ve read about? Expect worse in the future.," 20 Jan. 2018
Wildfires in December charred much of the hills in the area, burning the chaparral all along the foothills.

— dino grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Trump administration is trying to sell natural gas to African countries president disparaged," 17 Jan. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1845

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

chaparral Synonyms

Synonyms

brake, brushwood, coppice, copse, covert, thicket;

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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See words that rhyme with chaparral Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chaparral Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chaparral

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chaparral

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