palmetto
/palˈmɛtəʊ
/noun (plural palmettos)
A fan palm, especially one of a number occurring from the southern US to northern South America.
- Sabal and other genera, family Palmae: several species, in particular the cabbage palmetto (S. palmetto), which is the state tree of Florida.
- The young marsh rabbit has made it to the far bank, a knee-high jungle of ragged palmettos like miniature palm trees.
- We were allowed to linger over coffee and admire the cypress trees and palmettos in the Sipsey swamp area between Tuscaloosa and Meridian.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Spanish palmito, literally 'small palm', diminutive of palma, assimilated to Italian words ending in -etto.