Plural of ceiba; large tropical trees native to Central and South America that produce silk-like fibers.
From Spanish 'ceiba,' borrowed from Taíno (Caribbean indigenous language) 'ceíba.' The word traveled from the Americas to European languages through colonial contact in the 16th century.
The ceiba tree is so culturally important that it's the national tree of Guatemala and appears on their flag—indigenous peoples considered it sacred because its massive roots seemed to hold the earth together!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.