Areca palm
- noun
- Indian
:
palma de areca
- Many households in India have an Areca palm in their gardens.
Examples
-
The Areca palm is widely cultivated in tropical regions for its ornamental value.
-
The Areca palm is often used for decoration.
-
Farmers harvest the fruit of the Areca palm to produce betel nuts.
-
The leaves of the Areca palm are sometimes used for making baskets and mats.
-
The areca palm produces betel nuts that are often chewed for their stimulating effects.
-
In many tropical gardens, the areca palm adds an exotic touch with its lush green fronds.
-
Village markets in Southeast Asia often sell betel nuts harvested from the areca palm.
Synonyms
A tall palm tree from Southeast Asia that produces betel nuts chewed in many cultures
A tropical palm tree from Southeast Asia that makes betel nuts for chewing
A tall tropical palm from Southeast Asia that produces egg-shaped nuts chewed with betel leaf
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the genus name 'Areca' with the common noun 'palm' to denote a specific type of palm tree; if a learner knows both constituents they can readily infer it is a kind of palm. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase (a taxonomy+category), so the meaning is transparent rather than idiomatic or metaphorical.
Etymology
Areca palm comes from a local name for the palm that produces the bright red or orange 'betel nuts' people chew. Because the tree is best known for those nuts and for leaves used for baskets and ceremonies, Areca palm now simply means the palm that bears 'betel nuts'.
