African scented mahogany
- noun
- South African
:
madera de caoba africana
- Many furniture makers value African scented mahogany for its pleasant aroma and attractive grain.
Examples
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The reddish brown color of African scented mahogany makes it popular in interior design.
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The African scented mahogany tree grows well in tropical climates.
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Export restrictions have been placed on African scented mahogany to protect the species.
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Many furniture makers prefer African scented mahogany for its unique aroma.
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Many furniture makers value African scented mahogany for its pleasant aroma and attractive grain.
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The reddish brown color of African scented mahogany makes it popular in interior design.
-
Export restrictions have been placed on African scented mahogany to protect the species.
Synonyms
An African tree with light, fragrant wood often pink to reddish brown, used for furniture
A tall African tree whose light reddish-brown wood smells like cedar and is used for furniture and guitars
An African tree with light reddish wood that smells like cedar, also called sapele
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally transparent: 'African' denotes origin, 'scented' denotes having a fragrance, and 'mahogany' names the tree/wood, so the overall meaning is a mahogany (tree or wood) from Africa that is fragrant or aromatic. This straightforward adjectival stacking follows common cross-linguistic patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
African scented mahogany comes from three simple facts: African because the tree grows in Africa, scented because its 'wood' smells a little like cedar, and mahogany because its wood looks and is used like other mahoganies. So, the name helps you remember it is a tree from Africa with pleasantly scented, mahogany-like wood.
