balsa

noun

bal·​sa ˈbȯl-sə 

1

: a small raft or boat

specifically : one made of tightly bundled reeds and used on Lake Titicaca

2

: a tropical American tree (Ochroma pyramidale) of the silk-cotton family with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats

also : its wood

Examples of balsa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It's been a debate for years whether Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson could have fit on the piece of floating balsa wood next to Winslet's Rose Dewitt Bukater after the ship sank. —Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024

The mouthfeel is much thicker than the regular Fireside Bourbon, with big notes of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, licorice, and spice on the palate, compared to lighter green fruit, balsa wood, and an overall nuttiness to the original. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2024

The explorer built the balsa wood raft to show that people could have made the trip in prehistory. —Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024

Could Peanut Butter? Stephens cobbled together a custom, oversized controller using balsa wood and buttons from an arcade machine, large enough that Peanut Butter could easily press them with his paws. —Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 18 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

balsa

noun

bal·​sa ˈbȯl-sə 

1

: raft entry 1

especially : one made of two cylinders of metal or wood joined by a frame

2

: a tropical American tree with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats

also : its wood