chaparral

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

Updated on: 27 Mar 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

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
For well over a week, hundreds of inmates have chain-sawed through relentless thickets of chaparral, cutting lines through the backcountry to thwart the fire’s sudden rushes at homes.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Inmates are part of an army of firefighters battling a 'monster' that just keeps growing," 15 Dec. 2017
Some of the chaparral and native trees, including the famous scrub oaks, on the slopes above the Napa and Sonoma valleys actually depend on fire for reproduction.

— constance casey, Slate Magazine, "After the Fires, What Will Become of California’s Wine Crop?," 18 Oct. 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

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

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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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chaparral

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