chaparral
noun
chap·ar·ral
ˌsha-pə-ˈral 
-ˈrel
1
: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
broadly
: a dense impenetrable thicket of shrubs or dwarf trees
2
: an ecological community composed of shrubby plants adapted to dry summers and moist winters that occurs especially in southern California
Examples of chaparral in a Sentence
the rabbit darted into the chaparral
Recent Examples on the Web
In Arizona, wildfires in shrublands or chaparral can be fueled by invasive grasses, like cheat grass.
—
John Leos, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
Learn about the various lizards and snakes of Southern California’s mountains and chaparrals.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
But Voters Side With Trump Over Musk Add visiting the Morro Bay State Park to hike through salt marshes and coastal trails or walking along the boardwalk through pygmy oaks and chaparral in Elfin Forest to the itinerary.
—Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The next time fire rips through the chaparral in surrounding hills (a question of when, not if) this cluster of homes is being built to keep the flames at the subdivision’s edge.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaparral
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John Leos, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
Learn about the various lizards and snakes of Southern California’s mountains and chaparrals.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
But Voters Side With Trump Over Musk Add visiting the Morro Bay State Park to hike through salt marshes and coastal trails or walking along the boardwalk through pygmy oaks and chaparral in Elfin Forest to the itinerary.
—Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The next time fire rips through the chaparral in surrounding hills (a question of when, not if) this cluster of homes is being built to keep the flames at the subdivision’s edge.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaparral
Cite this Entry
“Chaparral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaparral. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chaparral
noun
chap·ar·ral
ˌshap-ə-ˈral
-ˈrel
1
: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
also
: a dense thicket
2
: an ecological community that is found especially in parts of southern California and is composed of shrubby plants that grow well in dry sunny summers and moist winters
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