palmetto

noun

pal·​met·​to pal-ˈme-(ˌ)tō 

 also  pä-,

päl-,

pȯ-,

pȯl-

plural palmettos or palmettoes

1

: any of several usually low-growing fan-leaved palms

especially : cabbage palmetto

2

: strips of the leaf blade of a palmetto used in weaving

Illustration of palmetto

• palmetto 1

Examples of palmetto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Before sugarcane dominated the landscape, cattle and citrus groves filled its saw palmetto prairies. —Patrick Farrell, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2024

The palmetto tree also symbolizes the victory over the British fleet at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2024

Palmetto State Park near San Antonio is a tropical getaway with dwarf palmetto plants, while Colorado Bend State Park has a 70-foot waterfall and 400 underground caves. —Alex Temblador, Outside Online, 23 Sep. 2024

During the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, the fort’s success was largely due to its construction from palmetto logs, which absorbed the cannonballs’ impact without splintering. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

modification of Spanish palmito, from palma palm, from Latin

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing palmetto

• cabbage palmetto
• palmetto bass
• palmetto bug
• saw palmetto

Kids Definition

palmetto

noun

pal·​met·​to pal-ˈmet-ō 

plural palmettos or palmettoes

: any of several usually low-growing palms with fan-shaped leaves