Chinese magnolia
- noun
- /ˈtʃaɪniːz mæɡˈnoʊliə/
- The Chinese magnolia blooms early in spring, brightening up gardens before most trees have leaves.
Examples
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Many gardeners in the eastern United States favor the Chinese magnolia for its dramatic, fragrant flowers.
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We planted a Chinese magnolia in our backyard, and it quickly became the centerpiece of our landscaping.
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The Chinese magnolia blooms beautifully in spring.
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Many gardeners love the Chinese magnolia for its stunning flowers.
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Many gardeners in the eastern United States favor the Chinese magnolia for its dramatic, fragrant flowers.
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The Chinese magnolia blooms early in spring, brightening up gardens before most trees have leaves.
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We planted a Chinese magnolia in our backyard, and it quickly became the centerpiece of our landscaping.
Synonyms
A plant like a tree with big, sweet-smelling white or pink flowers
A small tree with large pink to purple flowers in spring that people grow in gardens
A small tree like a garden shrub with large pink to purple open flowers in spring
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a magnolia associated with China' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'Chinese' (from China) with 'magnolia' (a flowering tree). Adjective + noun origin constructions are standard and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand this phrase.
Etymology
Chinese magnolia has two clear parts: Chinese shows the plant's country of origin, and magnolia is a name given after the French plant scientist Pierre Magnol. So, Chinese magnolia simply means 'a magnolia that comes from China', which makes the name easy to remember.