American lime

6.6

A large tree from North America with dark green leaves that gives shade

noun
/əˈmɛrɪkən laɪm/

: tilo americano

The park was lined with towering American lime trees, providing cool shade in the summer.

Examples

The gardener recommended planting an American lime for its dense, attractive foliage.
The American lime tree provides excellent shade.
An American lime in our backyard attracts many birds during the spring.
Many parks have American limes planted along the pathways.
The park was lined with towering American lime trees, providing cool shade in the summer.
An American lime in our backyard attracts many birds during the spring.
The gardener recommended planting an American lime for its dense, attractive foliage.

Synonyms

Tilia americana

vsAmerican lime

Specialized

9.6

A large American tree with dark green leaves that gives shade

is the common English name used in everyday speech rather than the Latin name

American basswood

vsAmerican lime

6.3

A large North American tree with a broad crown, large dark green leaves, and soft wood used for shade

is mainly planted for shade rather than for timber

Surface Forms

American lime singular

American limes plural

Morphology

American + lime

The meaning is directly compositional: 'American' specifies origin and 'lime' names the tree (linden), so the phrase denotes a lime tree from America. This noun phrase is a straightforward modifier + head construction common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

American lime may come from people who thought a big North American tree looked like the European lime, because both have heart-shaped leaves and sweet flowers. So the name American lime came to mean 'a large shade tree native to North America'.