manzanita

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish manzanita, so named because the fruits look like little apples.

Noun

manzanita (plural manzanitas)

1. Any evergreen shrub or tree of the genus Arctostaphylos, especially Arctostaphylos manzanita, having smooth red or orange bark and stiff, twisting branches.
   • 1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter VIII, in The Understanding Heart:

     The horse groaned and started his running walk down the trail; Uncle Charley pursued him, breaking a twig off a manzanita bush and handing it up to Monica, who flailed the sorry brute across the shoulders and rump.

Derived terms

• Montara manzanita

Gallery

• 
• 
  Arctostaphylos manzanita
• 

Spanish

Etymology

From manzana +‎ -ita.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /manθaˈnita/ [mãn̟.θaˈni.t̪a]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /mansaˈnita/ [mãn.saˈni.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ita
• Syllabification: man‧za‧ni‧ta

Noun

manzanita f (plural manzanitas)

1. diminutive of manzana
2. manzana verde (alcoholic beverage)

Further reading

• “manzanita”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10