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Glite Dictionary
Adansonia digitata

Adansonia digitata

9.9
A very large African tree with a thick trunk that makes an edible fruit called monkey bread
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Adansonia digitata
  • The Adansonia digitata is an iconic sight on the African savanna, with its massive trunk towering above the landscape.

Examples

  • Many communities use the fruit of the Adansonia digitata for its nutritious pulp, often called monkey bread.

  • Researchers are studying the Adansonia digitata to understand its resilience to drought and long lifespan.

  • The Adansonia digitata is often referred to as the baobab tree.

  • Did you know that the Adansonia digitata can live for over a thousand years?

  • Many communities use the fruit of the Adansonia digitata for its nutritious pulp, often called monkey bread.

  • The Adansonia digitata is an iconic sight on the African savanna, with its massive trunk towering above the landscape.

  • The Adansonia digitata, commonly known as the baobab, can provide shelter for various animals due to its large size.

Synonyms

baobab
vsAdansonia digitata
  • South African
2 8.9

A large African tree with a very thick trunk and large fruit with a soft inside you can eat

is the scientific binomial with identical meaning
monkey-bread tree
vsAdansonia digitata
  • South African
9.9

A large African tree with a very thick trunk that has fruit with a soft inside that people eat

is the scientific binomial with identical meaning

Surface Forms

Adansonia digitata singular
Adansonia digitatas plural

Morphology

Adansonia + digitata

This is a Latin binomial (scientific name) rather than a normal English phrase; its meaning 'baobab tree' is a taxonomic label and not compositionally derived from everyday English constituents. Even if a learner recognized the parts as genus + Latin adjective, that knowledge does not allow a B1 learner to infer the common meaning, so the expression is not transparent.

Etymology

Adansonia digitata comes from the French plant scientist Michel Adanson, which gives the Adansonia part, and the Latin word digitata, meaning 'finger-like', because the tree's leaves have several leaflets that spread like fingers. So the name helps you picture the baobab with its huge trunk and its gourd-like, edible 'monkey bread' fruit.