Fraser fir
1
7.8
- noun
- /ˈfreɪzər fɪr/
- US
:
abeto de Fraser
- I'm guessing... ...you don't have a 12-foot Fraser fir?
- cut Fraser fir
- fresh-cut Fraser fir
- foot-tall Fraser fir
Examples
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That was the only 12-foot Fraser fir left in the fucking state.
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Twelve-foot Fraser fir.
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The nursery stocked a variety of Christmas trees, including the popular Fraser fir known for its soft needles.
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During the holiday season, many families choose a Fraser fir for its pleasant scent and sturdy branches.
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In North America, the Fraser fir is often preferred as a Christmas tree because it retains its needles well.
Synonyms
22
1.6
A tall evergreen tree with needle leaves and upright cones often used as a Christmas tree
5
2.0
A tall evergreen tree with soft needles often used for holiday decoration
A small fir tree from the southern Appalachian Mountains with very short needles
A tall evergreen tree with needle leaves and upright cones often used as a Christmas tree
Surface Forms
Morphology
Fraser + fir
The compound is a proper-name modifier plus a noun: a learner who knows 'fir' and recognizes 'Fraser' as a name can infer this denotes a particular kind or variety of fir tree. While specific attributes (native range, needle quality, use as a Christmas tree) are not predictable from the parts, the basic meaning 'a type of fir' is transparently compositional; naming species after people is a common cross-linguistic pattern.
Etymology
Fraser fir is named after a Scottish plant collector, John Fraser, who found this small mountain fir and sent plants to gardeners long ago. Because the collector's name Fraser was added to the tree word fir, the name Fraser fir now refers to this soft-needled 'Christmas tree'.