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balsas

 - 5 dictionary results

Bal⋅sas

  [bahl-sais]
–noun
Río, Río Balsas.

bal⋅sa

  [bawl-suh, bahl-]
–noun
1. a tropical American tree, Ochroma pyramidale (lagopus), of the bombax family, yielding an exceedingly light wood used for life preservers, rafts, toy airplanes, etc.
2. a raft made of balsa wood.
3. any life raft.
Origin:
1770–80; < Sp: boat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To balsas
bal·sa   (bôl'sə)   
n.  

    1. A tropical American tree (Ochroma pyramidale) having wood that is soft, very light in weight, and that is used as a substitute for cork in insulation, floats, and crafts such as model airplanes.

    2. The wood of this tree. Also called corkwood.

  2. A raft consisting of a frame fastened to buoyant cylinders of wood or metal.


[Spanish.]
Bal·sas   (bôl'səs, bäl'-)   
A river flowing about 724 km (450 mi) from south-central Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

balsa 
1866, apparently from Sp. balsa "float," originally the name of rafts used on the Pacific coast of Latin America (1777).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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