Averrhoa bilimbi
- noun
- Specialized
:
bilimbi
- Locals use the fruit of Averrhoa bilimbi to add a sour flavor to curries and chutneys.
Examples
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The Averrhoa bilimbi grows best in warm, humid climates and produces fruit year-round.
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The Averrhoa bilimbi tree is known for its sour fruit.
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Botanists study Averrhoa bilimbi for its unusual tolerance to acidic soils.
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Have you ever tasted Averrhoa bilimbi?
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Locals use the fruit of Averrhoa bilimbi to add a sour flavor to curries and chutneys.
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The Averrhoa bilimbi grows best in warm, humid climates and produces fruit year-round.
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The Averrhoa bilimbi tree is known for its sour fruit.
Synonyms
A tree that produces very sour green fruit used in cooking
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents are literal botanical nouns referring to trees/fruits, so the binomial simply names a particular tree species. A B1 learner who knows 'Averrhoa' (tropical trees with edible fruits) and 'bilimbi' (evergreen tree known for sour fruit) can reasonably infer this is a kind of tree with very sour fruit, so the meaning is compositional and not idiomatic.
Etymology
Averrhoa bilimbi mixes a tribute and a local name. The first part, Averrhoa, honors the old scholar 'Averroes', and the second part, bilimbi, comes from the Malay name for the very 'sour' fruit, so the name points to the tree known for its sour, cucumber-shaped fruit used in cooking.
