Presa
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A symbol, such as ※ or :S:, used to indicate where a voice is to begin singing in a canon or round.
- 2 A temporary dam, dyke or reservoir. Southwestern, US
"They are equalled in their productive capacity only by the highest terraces on the slopes of Cerro Gordo in the same region, and their production approaches that of the irrigated lands in the Lower Valley. The significance of the presas for agriculture stems from the humidity retention capacity they possess and their ideal location for trapping both soil [...] and water. [...] it is very rare that a crop is lost in the presas [...] Maize is planted as early as February in some presas. Special planting techniques are also applied to the presas to make available subsoil moisture."
- 1 A surname from Spanish.
Example
More examples"They are equalled in their productive capacity only by the highest terraces on the slopes of Cerro Gordo in the same region, and their production approaches that of the irrigated lands in the Lower Valley. The significance of the presas for agriculture stems from the humidity retention capacity they possess and their ideal location for trapping both soil [...] and water. [...] it is very rare that a crop is lost in the presas [...] Maize is planted as early as February in some presas. Special planting techniques are also applied to the presas to make available subsoil moisture."
Etymology
From Italian presa (“capture, seizure”).
From Spanish presa (“dam”), related to the above.
Borrowed from Spanish Presa. This surname is predominantly found in Mexico.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.