Bombay hemp
- noun
:
cáñamo de Bombay
- Farmers in Southeast Asia have cultivated Bombay hemp for centuries to produce fishing nets and rope.
Examples
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The strong fibers of Bombay hemp make it an important material in the textile industry.
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Some traditional crafts use Bombay hemp as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic fibers.
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Farmers in India grow Bombay hemp for its strong fibers.
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The Bombay hemp plant is known for its durability.
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Farmers in Southeast Asia have cultivated Bombay hemp for centuries to produce fishing nets and rope.
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The strong fibers of Bombay hemp make it an important material in the textile industry.
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Some traditional crafts use Bombay hemp as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic fibers.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A tall annual plant with strong fibers in its stalks that people use to make rope, cloth and paper
A tall plant with strong natural fibers used to make rope and cloth
A tall plant that people grow for its strong fiber used to make rope and cloth
A plant with strong fibers used to make rope and cloth
A plant grown for strong fibers used to make rope and cloth
A tall Indian plant grown for strong fibers used to make rope and cloth
A tall tropical plant with strong soft fiber used to make rope and sacks
A plant grown for strong fibers used to make rope
A tropical plant with thick striped green leaves grown for strong fibers and decoration
A tropical plant with thick banded green leaves often kept indoors
A strong fibrous plant with long stiff leaves used for making rope
A South African plant whose long, strong leaves people use to make rope
A tropical African plant with long stiff leaves that people use as a houseplant and for strong ropes
A North American plant with strong fibers used to make ropes
A tall annual plant that grows along rivers in the US southwest and improves soil while giving strong fiber
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'Bombay hemp' is a straightforward place + noun compound whose meaning — a type or variety of hemp associated with Bombay/Mumbai — is directly derivable from 'Bombay' (a place name) and 'hemp' (a fiber-yielding plant). This compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English noun-modifier formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.
Etymology
The noun Bombay hemp may come from old trade at the port of Bombay, where sellers packed and shipped strong plant fiber and simply called it hemp from Bombay. That's why the name now means a plant used 'to make rope and nets'.