Meanings
nounsaw palmetto (plural saw palmettos)
plural saw palmettos
- A sprawling-stemmed spiny-leaved dwarf palm (Serenoa repens) forming large colonies, especially by sprouting, native to Florida and the coastal plains of other southeastern states of the United States.
- A similar plant (Chamaerops humilis), native to Europe and north Africa
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsmall hardy clump-forming spiny palm of southern United States
Similar
scrub palmettoSerenoa repens
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
The edges of the leaflets of this palm have strong spines, like a saw.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
saw palmetto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saw%20palmetto
MLA
“saw palmetto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saw%20palmetto. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “saw palmetto,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saw%20palmetto.
Source: saw palmetto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.