nipa

noun

ni·​pa ˈnē-pə How to pronounce nipa (audio)
: thatch made of leaves of the nipa palm

Examples of nipa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once, its creek was home to thick forests of mangroves, but now most were gone, the victims of past environmental disasters and encroachment of invasive nipa palms, brought there long ago by the British. New York Times, 3 Sep. 2021 The balcony and rooftop deck offer views of the sea and the modest homes and nipa huts in the surrounding area. cleveland, 2 Apr. 2020 Most houses have one room and are made from bamboo, nipa-palm fronds and tarpaulin. The Economist, 11 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nipa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from Italian, from Malay nipah nipa palm

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nipa was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near nipa

Cite this Entry

“Nipa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nipa. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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