Palmetto
/pælˈmɛtoʊ/noun
A small palm tree, especially one of the fan-palms found in warm regions.
Did you know?Palmetto comes through French from Latin palma, the same root behind 'palm' and originally tied to the shape of a hand, so the tree’s name is basically a botanical echo of the human body.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to spread, flat; to thrust or strike”
Latin
Latin
palma
“the palm of the hand; a palm branch”
Late Latin
Latin
palmetum
“a palm grove”
Old French
French
palmette
“a small palm; palm ornament”
Early Modern English
English
palmetto
“a small palm tree”