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Glite Dictionary
Hottentot fig

Hottentot fig

9.9
A low plant with thick, fleshy leaves and sweet edible fruit from South Africa
  • noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : higo hottentote
  • The Hottentot fig spreads rapidly, making it popular for stabilizing dunes along the coast.

Examples

  • Many gardens use Hottentot fig as a groundcover for its drought-resistant qualities.

  • We tasted the sweet pulp from the fruit of the Hottentot fig while hiking in South Africa.

  • The Hottentot fig thrives in sandy soils.

  • I saw a beautiful Hottentot fig in the garden.

  • The Hottentot fig is often used as a ground cover in gardens due to its hardy nature.

  • In South Africa, the Hottentot fig produces an edible fruit that is enjoyed by many.

  • Farmers appreciate the Hottentot fig for its ability to thrive in sandy, coastal soils.

Synonyms

Mesembryanthemum edule
vsHottentot fig
  • Specialized
9.9

A low spreading South African plant with thick leaves and sour, edible fruit

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific label
Hottentot's fig
vsHottentot fig
  • NSFW
9.9

A low plant with thick leaves that grows on coastal sand and has edible fruit

is the standard common name without the possessive form
sour fig
vsHottentot fig
  • South African
9.2

A low plant from South Africa with thick leaves that makes small edible fruit

is a specific common name emphasizing the plant rather than taste
Carpobrotus edulis
vsHottentot fig
  • Specialized
9.9

A low plant with thick leaves used as ground cover that has edible fruit

is the common name used in everyday speech rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

Hottentot fig singular
Hottentot figs plural

Morphology

Hottentot + fig

The compound combines the demonym/descriptor 'Hottentot' (linking the plant to the Khoikhoi/South African region) with 'fig' (a type of plant), so a learner who knows both words would infer it is a plant/fig associated with that area. However, the specific botanical sense — a low-growing coastal succulent rather than a Mediterranean fig tree — and the archaic/ethnic connotations of 'Hottentot' are not fully predictable from the parts, so the exact meaning requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Hottentot fig comes from early visitors to South Africa. They called its tasty, fig-like fruit a 'fig' and used the name Hottentot for the local people they met, so the name points to the sweet, edible pulp and where the plant grows.