esparto

noun

es·​par·​to i-ˈspär-(ˌ)tō 

plural espartos

1

: either of two Spanish and Algerian grasses (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum) used especially to make cordage, shoes, and paper

called also esparto grass

2

: the fiber of esparto

Examples of esparto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The interdisciplinary team analyzed 76 artifacts made of wood, reeds, and esparto, including basketry, cords, mats, and a wooden mallet. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023

In the 19th century, miners in a cave in Southern Spain unearthed a prehistoric burial site containing some 22 pairs of ancient sandals woven out of esparto (a type of grass). —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023

The prehistoric items were made from organic materials including wood, reed and esparto, or Stipa tenacissima, a grass crushed to make twine. —Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023

The study used radiocarbon dating to date 76 items, including baskets and 22 sandals made from esparto, a kind of grass used in crafts across the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa for thousands of years. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023

This Ibiza living room features local-limestone floors covered in custom Spanish esparto rugs from Antonia Molina. —Kelsey Mulvey, ELLE Decor, 29 Dec. 2022

In an Ibiza, Spain, home, limestone floors covered in custom Spanish esparto rugs from Antonia Molina, walls in a sandy lime plaster, and a wood-beam ceiling set a rustic tone in the living room. —Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 20 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin spartum, from Greek sparton — more at spire

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

esparto

noun

es·​par·​to is-ˈpärt-ō 

plural espartos

: either of two Spanish and Algerian grasses from which rope, shoes, baskets, and paper are made

called also esparto grass