American crab apple
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən kræb ˈæpəl/
- US
:
manzano silvestre americano
- The American crab apple is known for its beautiful springtime blossoms.
Examples
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Local wildlife often feed on the fruit of the American crab apple.
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Many gardeners love the American crab apple for its blossoms.
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In the park, I saw several American crab apple trees in full bloom.
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The American crab apple tree is beautiful in spring.
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In the park, I saw several American crab apple trees in full bloom.
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Local wildlife often feed on the fruit of the American crab apple.
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The American crab apple is known for its beautiful springtime blossoms.
Synonyms
A medium-sized tree from the eastern United States with pink flowers and small yellow fruit called the American crab apple
A medium-sized tree from the eastern United States with pink blossoms and small yellow fruit
Surface Forms
Morphology
The elements 'American' and 'apple' transparently indicate a type of apple tree from the United States, but the modifier 'crab' (which here means a small or sour wild apple) is not obvious from the common meaning of 'crab' (the sea animal) and is unlikely to be inferred by a B1 learner. Because one constituent’s specialized botanical sense is not predictable from basic vocabulary, the phrase is only partially transparent.
Etymology
American crab apple gets its name from the tree's small, tart fruit. People long ago called tiny apples 'crabs' because they taste sharp and not sweet, so crab and apple tell you it is a wild American tree with small, sour fruit.
