henequen

noun

hen·​e·​quen ˈhe-ni-kən 

ˌhe-ni-ˈken

: a strong yellowish or reddish hard fiber obtained from the leaves of a tropical American agave (Agave fourcroydes) found chiefly in Yucatán and used especially in making twine and rope

also : a plant that yields henequen

Examples of henequen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rojo was a descendent of Tetabiate, a Yaqui leader killed in a 1901 battle with the government, which deported the surviving Yaquis to work in slave-like conditions on henequen plantations in far-away Yucatan. —Mark Stevenson, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Sep. 2022

An 18th-century plantation of henequen (an agave-like plant), Hacienda Mucuyché is home to two cenotes that supposedly hosted Carlota, a Belgian princess who briefly became Empress of Mexico when Napoleon III named her husband emperor. —National Geographic, 31 May 2019

Like most haciendas in the Yucatán, Huayamon — a 20-minute drive from the city — was founded in the 18th century (although most of its buildings date to the 19th century) to cultivate and process henequen, a tough fiber made from a variety of agave. —Michael Snyder, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Spanish henequén

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

henequen

noun

hen·​e·​quen ˈhen-i-kən 

ˌhen-i-ˈken

: a strong hard fiber obtained from the leaves of a tropical American agave and used to make twine

also : a plant that produces henequen