1
: a small raft or boat
specifically
: one made of tightly bundled reeds and used on Lake Titicaca
2
: a tropical American tree (Ochroma pyramidale) of the silk-cotton family with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats
also
: its wood
Examples of balsa in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It's been a debate for years whether Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson could have fit on the piece of floating balsa wood next to Winslet's Rose Dewitt Bukater after the ship sank.
—
Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024
The mouthfeel is much thicker than the regular Fireside Bourbon, with big notes of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, licorice, and spice on the palate, compared to lighter green fruit, balsa wood, and an overall nuttiness to the original.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2024
The explorer built the balsa wood raft to show that people could have made the trip in prehistory.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024
Could Peanut Butter? Stephens cobbled together a custom, oversized controller using balsa wood and buttons from an arcade machine, large enough that Peanut Butter could easily press them with his paws.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
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Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024
The mouthfeel is much thicker than the regular Fireside Bourbon, with big notes of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, licorice, and spice on the palate, compared to lighter green fruit, balsa wood, and an overall nuttiness to the original.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2024
The explorer built the balsa wood raft to show that people could have made the trip in prehistory.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024
Could Peanut Butter? Stephens cobbled together a custom, oversized controller using balsa wood and buttons from an arcade machine, large enough that Peanut Butter could easily press them with his paws.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for balsa
Dictionary Entries Near balsa
Cite this Entry
“Balsa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balsa. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
balsa
noun
bal·sa
ˈbȯl-sə 
1
: raft entry 1
especially
: one made of two cylinders of metal or wood joined by a frame
2
: a tropical American tree with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats
also
: its wood
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