Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An evergreen shrub (Adenostoma fasciculatum) in the rose family, native to California and Baja California, having small needlelike leaves in fascicles and clusters of small white flowers.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An evergreen shrub native to California, Adenostoma fasciculatum in the botanical family Rosaceae

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Spanish chamisa, from Galician chamiça, dry brush, firewood, from chama, flame, from Latin flamma; see flame.]

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Examples

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  • From the book White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Pg. 12

    "Out the window, the glow of the Hollywood sign was slightly blurred with June fog, a soft wellness on the hills raising the smell of sage and chamise, moisture wiping the glass with dreams."

    November 1, 2010