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palmera

pahl-MEH-rah/palˈmeɾa/

palm tree

Also: palm
NounfA1
A tall palm tree with a slender trunk and large green fronds against a clear blue sky.

📝 In Action

Hay muchas palmeras en la playa de Miami.

A1

There are many palm trees on Miami beach.

La palmera es el símbolo de las islas tropicales.

A2

The palm tree is the symbol of tropical islands.

El viento movía las hojas de la palmera con fuerza.

B1

The wind was moving the palm tree leaves forcefully.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • palmera datilera – date palm
  • tronco de palmera – palm tree trunk
  • aceite de palmera – palm oil

palmier

Also: elephant ear
NounfB1
Spain
A golden-brown, heart-shaped flaky pastry coated in light sugar.

📝 In Action

Mi merienda favorita es una palmera de chocolate.

B1

My favorite afternoon snack is a chocolate-covered palmier.

Estas palmeras de hojaldre son muy crujientes.

B2

These puff pastry palmiers are very crunchy.

Compramos unas palmeras gigantes en la pastelería.

B1

We bought some giant palmiers at the bakery.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • hojaldre (puff pastry (the material))

Common Collocations

  • palmera de chocolate – chocolate-covered palmier
  • palmera de coco – coconut palmier
  • palmera de huevo – glazed palmier

clapper

NounfC1
Spain
A woman in a traditional Spanish dress clapping her hands with focus.

📝 In Action

La palmera marcaba el ritmo con mucha precisión.

C1

The clapper was marking the rhythm with great precision.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • tocar las palmas – to clap rhythmically

Vocabulary Collections

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "palmera" in Spanish:

clapper→elephant ear→palm→palm tree→palmier→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: palmera

Question 1 of 3

If you are at a beach in Spain and want to sit in the shade of a tree, what are you looking for?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
palmar(palm grove) — Noun
palmero(person from La Palma / male clapper) — Noun
palmatoria(candle holder) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Derived from the Latin word 'palma,' which means the palm of the hand. This was applied to the tree because its leaves spread out like fingers on a hand.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: palmierFrench: palmierPortuguese: palmeira

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'palmera' only used for tropical trees?

While we mostly associate it with the beach, in Spanish, 'palmera' refers to any species of palm tree, including those that grow in dry or temperate climates.

Can I use 'palmera' to talk about a man from La Palma?

No, you would use 'palmero.' 'Palmera' specifically refers to a woman from that island or the tree/pastry.

Why is the pastry called a 'palmera'?

Because when you fold the puff pastry to make it, the final shape looks like two large palm leaves or a palm fan.