chaparral
noun
chap·ar·ral
ˌsha-pə-ˈral 
-ˈrel
1
: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
broadly
: a dense impenetrable thicket of shrubs or dwarf trees
2
: an ecological community composed of shrubby plants adapted to dry summers and moist winters that occurs especially in southern California
Synonyms
Examples of chaparral in a Sentence
the rabbit darted into the chaparral
Recent Examples on the Web
The forecast called for an all-out windstorm by midday over chaparral that hadn’t seen rain for eight months.
—
Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
But in this part of the semi-arid chaparral called Los Angeles, fire season can now be any time.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025
The Horton Fire, which covers 769 acres of Ponderosa pine, conifer and chaparral, has at least not moved west in the past few days above the Highline Trail, a 57-mile route popular for backpacking, camping and hiking.
—Caitlin McGlade, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024
During these quieter times, the native chaparral and vegetation would slowly recover over the course of years.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaparral 
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Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
But in this part of the semi-arid chaparral called Los Angeles, fire season can now be any time.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025
The Horton Fire, which covers 769 acres of Ponderosa pine, conifer and chaparral, has at least not moved west in the past few days above the Highline Trail, a 57-mile route popular for backpacking, camping and hiking.
—Caitlin McGlade, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024
During these quieter times, the native chaparral and vegetation would slowly recover over the course of years.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaparral
Dictionary Entries Near chaparral
Cite this Entry
“Chaparral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaparral. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chaparral
noun
chap·ar·ral
ˌshap-ə-ˈral
-ˈrel
1
: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
also
: a dense thicket
2
: an ecological community that is found especially in parts of southern California and is composed of shrubby plants that grow well in dry sunny summers and moist winters
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