Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A Mexican and Central American plant (Agave sisalana) widely cultivated for its large, sword-shaped leaves that yield stiff fibers used for cordage and rope.
- n. The fiber of this plant or of other members of the genus Agave.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Same as Sisal hemp.
Wiktionary
- n. A Central American plant, of the genus Agave, cultivated for its sword-shaped leaves that yield fibers used for rope.
- n. The fibre of the plant.
- n. rare A sisal mat.
WordNet 3.0
- n. Mexican or West Indian plant with large fleshy leaves yielding a stiff fiber used in e.g. rope
- n. a plant fiber used for making rope
Etymologies
- Named after Sisal, Yucatán. (Wiktionary)
- American Spanish, after Sisal, a town of southeast Mexico in the Yucatán. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Once dry, the "sisal" is sent to a baling plant for preparation for shipment to plants that make rope, shopping bags and other assorted product.”
“The fibre of the agave, known as sisal hemp, is used in the manufacture of rope, twine, mats, brushes, etc.”
“For the ceiling color, go for a very-warm wheat yellow, and for carpeting, my choice would be a Swedish woven area rug recalling the sisal style but made of wool, linen, cotton or even silk.”
“The bushland and wetland areas are also converted to farmlands and plantations of species such as sisal and various tree crops.”
“This is "sisal," the shrub that could save the forests of The Gambia!”
“In the absence of asbestos, other fibres such as sisal, coir”
4. Innovative technologies related to recycling of materials
“Coconut husk fibre, stem fibre as for example jute or leaf fibre such as sisal are the most common examples which have been used so far.”
“The purpose of the reinforcement is to prevent breakage during transport of the elements, so that if they are not to be taken long distances the chicken wire can be replaced with cheaper alternatives such as sisal or coconut fibre.”
“· Natural fibres (such as sisal, hemp, elephant grass, coir) as reinforcements in soil constructions or fibre concrete and other composite elements (eg fibre boards).”
“· Fibre: (0.1 kg per sheet) mainly natural, such as sisal, jute, coir, or banana fibre, but also synthetic fibres, eg polypropelene or glass fibre, can be used.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sisal’.
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IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
veal, valve, used, yak, wax, wan, teak, vat, vas, strip, use, strap and 4515 more...
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phrontistery-s
from phrontistery.info
syzygy, systyle, systematology, systatic, syssitia, syrtic, systaltic, syrt, syrinx, syphilomania, syphilology, syntrierarch and 1593 more...
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Fibers & Fabrics
zibeline, havelock, pashmina, qiviut, sartorial, noil, balbriggan, fichu, bombazine, cambric, placket, gabardine and 28 more...
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Twine
sisal, cotton, jute, hemp, coir, henequin, baler, binder, polypropylene, twine, gimp, marline and 10 more...
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Flora
fenugreek, verbena, saxifrage, arbutus, calendula, nasturtium, lobelia, hellebore, rhododendron, philodendron, bellflower, heuchera and 449 more...
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Allographic Homophones
Words that can be pronounced identically but are spelled differently. I've started with unusual or extensive sets. In some of these sets, no one speaker would pronounce them all the same. I've trie...
air, are, ayr, ayre, e'er, ere, err, eyre, heir, apatite, appetite, picnic and 226 more...
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learning
A list of words whose meanings I am learning, either because a) I don't know the meaning b) I know the meaning, but could stand to better appreciate certain inflections or secondary meanings or c) ...
louche, educe, loam, cob, sclerotic, palliate, axial, syndicalist, ecumenical, sally, fatuous, parvenu and 1381 more...
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Words of the Day
glabella, chirotony, nook-shotten, crapehanger, filemot, swirlie, egosurf, lexiphanicism, Ruritanian, stichometry, chrononaut, faldstool and 2031 more...
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miscellanea
antimacassar, snootful, sessile, glagolitic, marrowsky, farrago, keel, calumny, rheum, talisman, tally, awry and 508 more...
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.flora
amaranth, anther, apothecary, birch, bloom, bramble, briar, cedar, clove, currant, thorn, thicket and 63 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for sisal.
yarb And hanging by a sisal twist over the darkling void lit by an electric blue flash, like mending the tram lines, you know that flash? - that's where the souls of smarties go...
- Stevie Smith, Novel on Yellow Paper Feb 22, 2009