n.
Pronunciation: is- ' pär-( ˌ )t ō
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -tos
Etymology: Spanish, from Latin spartum, from Greek sparton ― more at SPIRE
Date: 1845
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