nipa

[ nee-puh ]

noun

1. a palm, Nypa fruticans, of India, the Philippines, etc., whose foliage is used for thatching, basketry, etc.

nipa

/ ˈnaɪ-; ˈniːpə /

noun

1. a palm tree, Nipa fruticans, of S and SE Asia, having feathery leaves, used for thatching, and edible fruit
2. the fruit or thatch obtained from this tree
3. the sap of this tree, used to make a liquor

Word History and Origins

Origin of nipa¹

1580–90; < New Latin < Malay nipah

Word History and Origins

Origin of nipa¹

C16: from Malay nīpah

Example Sentences

Once, its creek was home to thick forests of mangroves, but now most were gone, the victims of past environmental disasters and encroachment of invasive nipa palms, brought there long ago by the British.

From New York Times

I rode carabao instead of horses, played in a nipa hut instead of a jungle gym, and my canopy bed was really just a mosquito net draped over a worn-in mattress.

From Washington Post

Extracted from sugar cane or the sap from coconut trees or nipa palms, it was originally a necessary preservative in a warm climate.

From New York Times

Where nipa palms and coconuts grew, vinegar could be made from sap and water.

From New York Times

But in the village of Pata they were kindly received, and built their poor church and tiny dwelling-place, made of nothing but cane and nipa or straw, and of very slender stakes.

From Project Gutenberg