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Glite Dictionary
pissaba palm

pissaba palm

9.9
A Brazilian palm with strong leaf fibers used to make ropes and brushes
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : palma pissaba
  • The fibers of the pissaba palm are commonly used in the manufacture of durable rope.

Examples

  • Local artisans weave baskets from the tough leaves of the pissaba palm.

  • The pissaba palm is native to Brazil.

  • Exporters rely on the pissaba palm for its strong, versatile fibers.

  • Many artisans use pissaba palms to create beautiful mats.

  • Exporters rely on the pissaba palm for its strong, versatile fibers.

  • Local artisans weave baskets from the tough leaves of the pissaba palm.

  • The fibers of the pissaba palm are commonly used in the manufacture of durable rope.

Synonyms

Attalea funifera
vspissaba palm
  • Specialized
9.9

A Brazilian palm tree whose strong fibers are used to make ropes, mats and brushes

is the common trade name rather than the botanical species label
Bahia piassava
vspissaba palm
  • Specialized
9.9

A Brazilian palm tree that provides stiff fibers for making ropes, mats, and brushes

is the general name covering similar palms rather than this specific local variety
piassava palm
vspissaba palm
  • Specialized
9.9

A Brazilian palm with long stiff fibers used to make ropes, brooms, and mats

is narrower, referring to one species rather than multiple ones

Surface Forms

pissaba palm singular
pissaba palms plural

Morphology

pissaba + palm

The structure 'pissaba palm' follows a transparent English compounding pattern (modifier + palm) so a learner who knew that 'pissaba' names a particular material or variety could infer it denotes a type of palm. However, 'pissaba' is an obscure loanword not analyzable from English morphemes, so the specific sense (a Brazilian palm whose leaf fibers are used for ropes, mats, brushes) is not predictable without prior lexical knowledge.

Etymology

Pissaba palm may come from a Portuguese word for pissaba, a palm whose stiff leaf fibers were used to make brooms and brushes. Those long, strong fibers were used for ropes, mats and brushes, so the name now means 'a Brazilian palm with tough, useful fibers'.