Plural of hala; a type of tree found in tropical regions, particularly in the Pacific islands.
From Hawaiian 'hala', borrowed from Polynesian languages where it refers to the pandanus tree. The term entered English through Pacific exploration and trade in the 18th-19th centuries.
The hala tree produces distinctive spiral fruits that look like wooden pineapples, and Hawaiian craftspeople have used its leaves for weaving for centuries—it's basically the original natural fiber craft material!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.