pampas

[ pam-puhz; attributively pam-puhs; Spanish pahm-pahs ]

plural noun

, singular pam·pa [pam, -p, uh, pahm, -pah].

1. the vast grassy plains of southern South America, especially in Argentina.

pampas

/ pæmˈpiːən; ˈpæmpɪən; ˈpæmpəz /

noun

1. functioning as singular or more often plural
   1. the extensive grassy plains of temperate South America, esp in Argentina
   2. ( as modifier )

      pampas dwellers

Derived Forms

• pampean, adjective

Other Words From

• pam·pe·an [pam-, pee, -, uh, n, pam, -pee-, uh, n], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pampas¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; from Latin American Spanish, plural of pampa, from Quechua: “flat, unbounded plain”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pampas¹

C18: from American Spanish pampa (sing), from Quechua bamba plain

Example Sentences

Beneath the balcony was an arcade where many seats were disposed among palms and pampas grass.

From Project Gutenberg

Now, with the increase of the area of cultivation, the land in the Pampas which is available for grazing is greatly curtailed.

From Project Gutenberg

The tall pampas-grass, with its long feathery plumes, gives a profitable crop.

From Project Gutenberg

They descend from the Andes, traverse the Pampas from east to west, and empty themselves into the saline lakes.

From Project Gutenberg

As a rough guess, beyond those tremendous highlands lay the plains of Lower Argentina—the black, wind-swept, semidesert pampas.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe