palapa

P3A1L1A1P3A1

noun

An open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves.

OriginSpanish palapa ← Tagalog palapa ← Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *palaqpaq →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

palapa1

nounpalapa (plural palapas)

plural palapas

  1. An open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves.

    At the average home price, you can find a two- or even three-bedroom house with a pool and palapa.

    2008 January 11, Beth Greenfield, “Fishing Boats, Surfboards and Not a High-Rise in Sight”, in New York Times

palapa2

nounpalapa (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA sweet and spicy Filipino condiment made with white scallions, ginger, turmeric, chili, and toasted grated coconut.

Origin

  1. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*palaqpaq
  2. Tagalogpalapa“midrib of a coconut frond”
  3. Spanishpalapa
  4. Englishpalapa

Borrowed from Spanish palapa, from Tagalog palapa (“midrib of a coconut frond”), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *palaqpaq.

More words from Spanish, Tagalog, Proto-Malayo-Polynesian

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

palapa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palapa

MLA

“palapa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palapa. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palapa,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palapa.

Source: palapa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.