Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Palmetto
Pal-met′to
,Noun.
[Dim. of
palm
the tree: cf. Sp. palmito
.] (Bot.)
A name given to palms of several genera and species growing in the West Indies and the Southern United States. In the United States, the name is applied especially to the
Chamærops Palmetto
, or Sabal Palmetto
, the cabbage tree of Florida and the Carolinas. See Cabbage tree
, under Cabbage
. Royal palmetto
, the West Indian
– Sabal umbraculifera
, the trunk of which, when hollowed, is used for water pipes, etc. The leaves are used for thatching, and for making hats, ropes, etc. Saw palmetto
, Sabal serrulata
, a native of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. The nearly impassable jungle which it forms is called palmetto scrub
.Webster 1828 Edition
Palmetto
PALMET'TO
,Noun.
Definition 2024
palmetto
palmetto
English
Noun
palmetto (plural palmettos or palmettoes)
- Any member of either of two closely related genera of New World palms, of the family Arecaceae:
- Serenoa or its sole species Serenoa repens, the saw palmetto, which has medicinal uses;
- Sabal, represented by about 15 species, some known commonly as palmettos, others as fan palms.
- A native or resident of the US state of South Carolina.
Derived terms
- royal palmetto
- saw palmetto
Coordinate terms
- (South Carolina native or resident): palmetta (feminine)