noun
also chap·pa·ral |shapə|ral, -el sometimes |ch-
( -s )
Etymology: Spanish, from chaparro dwarf evergreen oak, from Basque txapar, diminutive of saphar thicket
1. : a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
2. : a dense impenetrable thicket of stiff or thorny shrubs or dwarf trees
3. : a community comprising shrubby plants widely distributed in southern California that are especially adapted to dry sunny summers and moist winters