Word of the Day

: June 26, 2007

xeriscape

noun, often capitalized ZEER-uh-skayp

What It Means

: a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation)

xeriscape in Context

Jim is not green-thumbed, so when he relocated to Colorado, he really liked the low-maintenance xeriscape of his new home.

Did You Know?

"Xēros" is the Greek word for "dry" that is the base for a handful of English words related to mainly dry printing ("xerography") and dry, or xerophilous, habitats and their plants. In the early 1980s, the Greek adjective was used to name a type of landscaping practiced primarily in the arid western regions of the United States. (The Water Department of Denver, Colorado, is credited with the word's coinage.) "Xeriscape," as it is called, uses plants that require little water and techniques that efficiently use water and reduce evaporation.