sargasso

noun

sar·​gas·​so sär-ˈga-(ˌ)sō How to pronounce sargasso (audio)
plural sargassos
1
: gulfweed, sargassum
2
: a mass of floating vegetation and especially sargassums

Examples of sargasso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Beaches at Punta Mita are long, quiet and free of the sargasso that chokes other waterways in Mexico. — Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2026 From May to October, Tulum, like the rest of the Caribbean, suffers from hard-to-manage quantities of sargasso seaweed. — Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2023 Like the rest of the Caribbean, Tulum sometimes suffers from the scourge of sargasso seaweed. — Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Portuguese sargaço, apparently the same word as sargaço, sargaça "the flowering plant Halimium lasianthum, related to the rockrose," of uncertain origin

Note: Traced by Coromines (Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico) along with Spanish jaguarzo to a putative Mozarabic *xaugaçro, going back to Latin salicastrum, a plant of uncertain identity named by Pliny.

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sargasso was in 1598

Rhymes for sargasso

See All Rhymes for sargasso

Browse Nearby Words

sarepta mustard
sargasso
Sargasso Sea
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sargasso.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sargasso. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sargasso

noun
sar·​gas·​so sär-ˈgas-ō How to pronounce sargasso (audio)
plural sargassos
1
: sargassum
2
: a mass of floating plants and especially sargassums
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All