buriti palm

noun

bu·​ri·​ti palm

¦bu̇r-ə-¦tē-

variants or less commonly buriti or burity palm or burity

plural buriti palms also buritis or burities or burity palms

: a large fan palm (Mauritia flexuosa synonym M. vinifera) chiefly of Brazil that has a reddish fruit with edible seeds and orange-yellow oily pulp and stems that yield a useful fiber

called also ita palm, moriche palm

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese buriti

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!