Mangrove
/ˈmæŋ.ɡroʊv/noun
A tropical coastal tree or shrub that grows in salty, muddy intertidal areas.
Did you know?The English word *mangrove* is a historical blend of a Caribbean term for these trees and the English word *grove*, but the exact path is tangled enough that older sources even show spellings like *mangrave* and *mangrowe*.
Etymological Timeline
16th–17th Century
Portuguese/Spanish
mangue / mangle
“Names for mangrove trees or mangrove swamps in the Caribbean and the Americas.”
17th Century
English
mangrove
“A mangrove tree or mangrove swamp, first recorded in English in colonial and travel writing.”
17th Century
English
mangrave
“An early variant spelling influenced by the word grove.”
Modern English
English
mangrove
“Any of several salt-tolerant tropical trees and shrubs growing in coastal mud.”