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Glite Dictionary
California nutmeg

California nutmeg

9.9
An evergreen tree with seeds like nutmeg that taste strongly of turpentine
  • noun
  • /ˌkælɪˈfɔrnjə ˈnʌtˌmɛg/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nuez de California
  • Though its seeds resemble nutmeg, the California nutmeg has a strong turpentine taste.

Examples

  • The California nutmeg grows in the mountain forests of northern California.

  • Gardeners admire the elegant foliage of the California nutmeg for landscaping.

  • The California nutmeg tree grows well in coastal areas.

  • Have you ever tasted California nutmeg fruit?

  • Gardeners appreciate the unique appearance of the California nutmeg tree in their yards.

  • The California nutmeg thrives in the cool, moist climate of northern California's forests.

  • While the seeds of the California nutmeg may look like nutmeg, their flavor is distinctly turpentine.

Synonyms

nutmeg-yew
vsCalifornia nutmeg
  • US
9.9

A California evergreen tree with fruit that looks like nutmeg but smells strongly of turpentine

is the same but uses a different common name form
Torreya californica
vsCalifornia nutmeg
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen tree from California with sharp leaves and fruit tasting of turpentine

is more general and focuses on fruit and flavor not leaf detail

Surface Forms

California nutmeg singular
California nutmegs plural

Morphology

California + nutmeg

The compound 'California nutmeg' is directly interpretable from 'California' (a place) + 'nutmeg' (the spice/seed): it denotes a nutmeg-like plant associated with California. Place + noun naming for species is cross-linguistically common and the botanical sense (a tree whose fruit resembles nutmeg) is predictable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely understand it.

Etymology

California nutmeg is the name of a California evergreen tree whose seeds look like the cooking spice nutmeg but taste strongly of turpentine. That's why the name comes from how the seed looks, and not because the tree gives the real 'nutmeg' spice.