selva

[ sel-vuh ]

noun

1. a tropical rainforest, as that in the Amazon basin of South America.

selva

/ ˈsɛlvə /

noun

1. dense equatorial forest, esp in the Amazon basin, characterized by tall broad-leaved evergreen trees, epiphytes, lianas, etc
2. a tract of such forest

Word History and Origins

Origin of selva¹

First recorded in 1840–50; from Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese: literally “forest,” from Latin silva; silva ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of selva¹

C19: from Spanish and Portuguese, from Latin silva forest

Example Sentences

But “la selva” — as many migrants call that particularly deadly stretch of their journey from South America to the United States — struck again two weeks ago.

From Seattle Times

Most of the online chatter referred to the planned gathering at Brasilia’s Three Powers Plaza as “Selma’s party” — a play on the Portuguese word for “selva,” a battle cry used by Brazil’s military.

From Seattle Times

The organizers appeared to turn the word “selva,” or jungle, into “Selma” by replacing the letter V with the letter M. The word selva is directly linked to the armed forces and its veterans.

From Seattle Times

Doshi frequently employs Dante's trope of selva oscura, the dark wood, to represent the love relationship, so there is a metaphorical parallel to these paired ideas.

From The Guardian

The selvas are for the most part vast unbroken forests, in which giant trees, thick undergrowth, and entwining creepers combine to form a nearly impenetrable region.

From Project Gutenberg