sisal

S1I1S1A1L1
UK/ˈsaɪsəl/

noun

A Central American plant, Agave sisalana, cultivated for its sword-shaped leaves that yield fibers used for rope.

Similar
sisal hempAgave sisalana
Less commonScrabble 5
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Meanings

nounsisal (countable and uncountable, plural sisals)

plural sisals

  1. countableuncountableA Central American plant, Agave sisalana, cultivated for its sword-shaped leaves that yield fibers used for rope.
  2. countableuncountableThe fibre of the plant.

    Sisal fiber comes from a variety of agave, the same type of plant that tequila is distilled from.

    2014, Theodore Gray, photography by Nick Mann, Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything, 2018 Paperback Edition, page 118
  3. countablerareuncountableA sisal mat.

    Our bedding consisted of a single sisal or straw mat.

    1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 456

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna plant fiber used for making rope

Similar
sisal hemp
Broader
plant fiberplant fibre

nounMexican or West Indian plant with large fleshy leaves yielding a stiff fiber used in e.g. rope

Similar
Agave sisalana
Broader
agavecentury plantAmerican aloe

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Named after Sisal, Yucatán.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian сизал, американска агава
  • сизал (sizal)fiber
  • американска агава (amerikanska agava)plant
Chinese 劍麻 /剑麻, 剑麻
  • 劍麻 /剑麻 (jiànmá)plant
  • 剑麻 (jiànmá)plant
Finnish sisali, sisal
  • sisalifiber
  • sisalfiber
  • sisalkuitufiber
  • sisalmattomat
  • sisalagaaveplant
German Sisal
  • Sisalfiber
Hindi सिसल, सिसाल
  • सिसल (sisal)fiber
  • सिसाल (sisāl)fiber
  • सिसल (sisal)mat
  • सिसाल (sisāl)mat
  • सिसल (sisal)plant
  • सिसाल (sisāl)plant
Hungarian szizálrost, szizálkender
  • szizálrostfiber
  • szizálkenderplant
  • szizálplant
Portuguese sisal, sisal
  • sisalfiber
  • sisalplant
Spanish cabuya
  • cabuyaplant
Swahili katani, mkatani
  • katanifiber
  • mkataniplant

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

sailsSilaslassi
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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