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Glite Dictionary
California allspice

California allspice

8.0
A bush with sweet-smelling brown flowers from the southwestern United States
  • noun
  • /ˌkælɪˈfɔrnjə ˈɔlˌspaɪs/
  • US
translation icon : especias de California
  • The garden features a California allspice that fills the air with a sweet fragrance every spring.

Examples

  • Many native plant enthusiasts choose California allspice for its aromatic flowers and attractive foliage.

  • A mature California allspice can add both beauty and scent to any southwestern garden.

  • I love the scent of California allspice.

  • Have you ever used California allspice in cooking?

  • A mature California allspice can add both beauty and scent to any southwestern garden.

  • The garden features a California allspice that fills the air with a sweet fragrance every spring.

  • Many native plant enthusiasts choose California allspice for its aromatic flowers and attractive foliage.

Synonyms

Calycanthus occidentalis
vsCalifornia allspice
  • Specialized
9.9

A spreading shrub from the western United States with brown fragrant flowers

is the same shrub but known by a different common name
Calycanthus floridus
vsCalifornia allspice
  • Specialized
9.9

A hardy shrub from the southeastern United States with reddish brown flowers that smell like cloves

is similar but comes from the southwestern region rather than southeastern
Carolina allspice
vsCalifornia allspice
  • US
9.3

A hardy bush from the southeastern United States with reddish-brown flowers that smell like cloves

is similar but refers to the aromatic shrub found in the southwest
sweet shrub
vsCalifornia allspice
  • US
7.3

A hardy shrub with clove-scented wood and fragrant reddish-brown flowers

is similar but describes a southwestern shrub with fragrant brown flowers

Surface Forms

California allspice singular
California allspices plural

Morphology

California + allspice

This is a straightforward place + noun combination: knowing 'California' and 'allspice' lets a learner infer it is a type or variety of allspice associated with California (an aromatic plant). The compositional pattern (place-name modifier specifying a variety) is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

California allspice probably gets its name from the plant's spicy smell. Its flowers smell like the cooking spice, so people used allspice and added California because the shrub grows there, and that is why the name means a 'fragrant shrub' from that place.