1. plural of milpa; small plots of land in Mexico and Central America where corn, beans, and squash are traditionally grown together
Usage: from Spanish; often used in anthropological and agricultural contexts

Examples

• The indigenous farmers maintained their milpas using traditional intercropping methods.
• Milpas have been cultivated in Mesoamerica for thousands of years.
• The three sisters—corn, beans, and squash—grow together in milpas.
• Many rural communities still depend on milpas for subsistence farming.
• The milpas system is considered an environmentally sustainable agricultural practice.