ceiba

[ sey-buh or for 2, sahy-; Spanish they-vah, sey- ]

/ ˈseɪ bə or for 2, ˈsaɪ-; Spanish ˈθeɪ vɑ, ˈseɪ- /

the silk-cotton tree, Ceiba pentandra.

silk cotton; kapok.

Origin of ceiba

1805–15; < Spanish < Taino ceyba or its cognate in another Arawakan language

La Ceiba

[ lah sey-vah ]

/ lɑ ˈseɪ vɑ /

a seaport in N Honduras.

Towards noon their progress became slower; and when at length the meridian hour arrived the ceiba stood still.

Afloat in the Forest |Mayne Reid
Hunger stimulated him to the attempt; and, resting his gun against the trunk of the ceiba, he commenced climbing upward.

The Maroon |Mayne Reid
To all appearance never did the ceiba go slower,—never lie so dull upon the water.

Afloat in the Forest |Mayne Reid
The last words that we heard from Cynthia were, "the ceiba tree," and we took them as our guide.

Latitude 19 degree |Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield

The ceiba, cottonwood or silk-cotton tree, is a tree of beauty and size, and of very general growth.

Industrial Cuba |Robert P. Porter

ceiba

/ (ˈseɪbə) /

any bombacaceous tropical tree of the genus Ceiba, such as the silk-cotton tree

silk cotton; kapok

C19: from New Latin, from Spanish, of Arawak origin