nipah
2
9.9
A virus that causes serious illness in people and animals or a tropical palm tree
- noun
- /ˈnɪpə/
- Specialized
:
nipah
- We spotted several nipah palms as we walked along the riverbank, their fronds swaying in the breeze.
Examples
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The nipah palm grows abundantly in the coastal wetlands of Southeast Asia.
-
Farmers in Malaysia cultivate the nipah palm for its sweet sap used in making traditional sweets.
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A variety of more recent laws and regulations governing timber plantations, as well as regulations on concessions for rattan species and sago and nipah palms, remain silent on adat.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
1
9.9
A tropical palm that grows in coastal mudflats by the sea
is ambiguous and can also mean a deadly virus, not only the plant
1
9.9
A swamp palm that gives sweet sap, leaves for roofs, and edible seeds
is broader and ambiguous, also naming a severe disease causing virus
Surface Forms
Etymology
Nipah comes from a place in Malaysia called Sungai Nipah and also names a type of palm tree common in Southeast Asia. The virus was named after the 'village' where it was first found, so nipah can mean the local palm or the virus linked to that place.