esparto
noun
es·par·to
i-ˈspär-(ˌ)tō 
plural espartos
1
: either of two Spanish and Algerian grasses (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum) used especially to make cordage, shoes, and paper
called also esparto grass
2
: the fiber of esparto
Examples of esparto in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
They were initially crafted by hand, with artisans weaving the esparto grass to create the shoes.
—
Fn Staff, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
The interdisciplinary team analyzed 76 artifacts made of wood, reeds, and esparto, including basketry, cords, mats, and a wooden mallet.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
In the 19th century, miners in a cave in Southern Spain unearthed a prehistoric burial site containing some 22 pairs of ancient sandals woven out of esparto (a type of grass).
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
The prehistoric items were made from organic materials including wood, reed and esparto, or Stipa tenacissima, a grass crushed to make twine.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023
The study used radiocarbon dating to date 76 items, including baskets and 22 sandals made from esparto, a kind of grass used in crafts across the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa for thousands of years.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023
This Ibiza living room features local-limestone floors covered in custom Spanish esparto rugs from Antonia Molina.
—Kelsey Mulvey, ELLE Decor, 29 Dec. 2022
In an Ibiza, Spain, home, limestone floors covered in custom Spanish esparto rugs from Antonia Molina, walls in a sandy lime plaster, and a wood-beam ceiling set a rustic tone in the living room.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 20 Dec. 2022
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Fn Staff, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
The interdisciplinary team analyzed 76 artifacts made of wood, reeds, and esparto, including basketry, cords, mats, and a wooden mallet.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
In the 19th century, miners in a cave in Southern Spain unearthed a prehistoric burial site containing some 22 pairs of ancient sandals woven out of esparto (a type of grass).
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
The prehistoric items were made from organic materials including wood, reed and esparto, or Stipa tenacissima, a grass crushed to make twine.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023
The study used radiocarbon dating to date 76 items, including baskets and 22 sandals made from esparto, a kind of grass used in crafts across the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa for thousands of years.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023
This Ibiza living room features local-limestone floors covered in custom Spanish esparto rugs from Antonia Molina.
—Kelsey Mulvey, ELLE Decor, 29 Dec. 2022
In an Ibiza, Spain, home, limestone floors covered in custom Spanish esparto rugs from Antonia Molina, walls in a sandy lime plaster, and a wood-beam ceiling set a rustic tone in the living room.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 20 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Esparto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esparto. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
esparto
noun
es·par·to
is-ˈpärt-ō
plural espartos
: either of two Spanish and Algerian grasses from which rope, shoes, baskets, and paper are made
called also esparto grass
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