fynbos

fyn·bos | \ ˈfān-ˌbȯs

How to pronounce fynbos (audio)

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Definition of fynbos

: a biome of southern coastal South Africa characterized by a diverse richness of endemic plant species (as of the heath, protea, composite, iris, and lily families), by soil that is acidic and nutrient-poor, and by a climate marked by cold wet winters and hot dry summers also : the type of vegetation characteristic of this biome

Examples of fynbos in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The air is crisp and clean, and the smell of the fynbos shrubs is strong; sipping coffee on the terrace at Leeu and watching the morning mist rolling over the vines is an only-in-the-low-season experience. — Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, "Winter in the Winelands Is South Africa's Best-Kept Secret," 31 Mar. 2020 Recent research by our group shows that when the sea retreated, a grassland formed close to the caves, and the fynbos persisted north of the caves. — Curtis W. Marean, Scientific American, "When the Sea Saved Humanity," 1 Nov. 2012 So when the coast was moderately distant, there was an exceptionally rich confluence of food resources for people: geophytes from the fynbos, shellfish from the sea and large game animals on the grasslands. — Curtis W. Marean, Scientific American, "When the Sea Saved Humanity," 1 Nov. 2012 Inverroche, one of the pioneers of South Africa’s craft industry, uses fragrant fynbos shrubs. — The Economist, "Adventurous spirit Elephant dung is fuelling South Africa’s gin boom," 18 Dec. 2019 Like many other fynbos plants, P. pubescens dislikes alkaline conditions and is intolerant of high levels of phosphorus. — Brian Kemble, The Mercury News, "Feathery plant has strange family members," 16 Mar. 2017 Three plant groups are especially abundant in the fynbos areas: the Protea family, the Erica family (heaths and heathers), and the Restio family (rush-like plants used to thatch roofs in South Africa). — Brian Kemble, The Mercury News, "Feathery plant has strange family members," 16 Mar. 2017

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

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“Fynbos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fynbos. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

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