Chinese holly

1 7.0

A dense rounded bush with spiny leaves often grown in gardens

noun

: acebo chino

Many landscapers plant Chinese holly for its dense foliage and attractive shape.

Examples

Because of its spiny leaves, Chinese holly provides excellent cover for small birds.
The Chinese holly in her garden remains green throughout the winter.
The Chinese holly adds beauty to any garden.
I planted a Chinese holly in my backyard.
Many landscapers plant Chinese holly for its dense foliage and attractive shape.
Because of its spiny leaves, Chinese holly provides excellent cover for small birds.
The Chinese holly in her garden remains green throughout the winter.

Synonyms

Ilex cornuta

vsChinese holly

Specialized

1 9.4

An evergreen shrub from China with spiny leaves and red berries

has identical meaning but uses the common name form in everyday speech

Surface Forms

Chinese holly singular

Chinese hollies plural

Morphology

Chinese + holly

This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'Chinese' (from China) + 'holly' (an evergreen plant) yields a holly associated with China. The meaning (a holly species/or specimen from China) is directly derivable from the parts and follows common cross-linguistic patterns for national/regional modifiers, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand it.

Etymology

Chinese holly comes from two simple parts: Chinese (from China) and holly (a spiny, evergreen plant). Imagine a round, green bush with sharp leaves from China, so the name means 'a dense shrub with spiny leaves that stays green all year'.