Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Melia Azadirachta

Melia Azadirachta

9.9
A large tree from South Asia used in medicine and for natural pest control, also called neem
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Melia Azadirachta
  • The bark of Melia Azadirachta is valued for its bitter tonic properties.

Examples

  • Farmers often plant Melia Azadirachta to provide shade and natural pest control.

  • The leaves of the Melia Azadirachta are commonly used in traditional Indian medicine.

  • The Melia Azadirachta tree is often found in tropical regions.

  • Many farmers cultivate Melia Azadirachta for its medicinal properties.

  • Farmers often plant Melia Azadirachta to provide shade and natural pest control.

  • The bark of Melia Azadirachta is valued for its bitter tonic properties.

  • Many farmers cultivate Melia Azadirachta for its medicinal properties.

Synonyms

neem
vsMelia Azadirachta
  • Indian
1 8.2

A large Indian tree with bitter leaves used in medicine and to keep insects away

is the species' botanical name, not the general use term
arishth
vsMelia Azadirachta
  • Archaic
9.9

A large semi-evergreen tree from Southeast Asia with bitter bark used as medicine and seeds that give aromatic oil

is the formal species name used for that tree
Azadirachta indica
vsMelia Azadirachta
  • Specialized
9.9

A large evergreen tree from India whose bark, seeds, and oil are used for medicine and to keep away pests

is an alternative traditional name for the same species
neem tree
vsMelia Azadirachta
  • Indian
6.8

A large tree from India whose seeds and bark are used for medicine and to keep insects away

is the scientific or variant name rather than the common name
margosa
vsMelia Azadirachta
  • Indian
9.9

A large tree from South Asia with bitter bark and oil used in medicine and to keep insects away

is the formal species label rather than a local name
nim tree
vsMelia Azadirachta
  • Indian
9.9

A large almost evergreen tree from Asia whose bitter bark and oil are used in medicine and repel insects

highlights the trunk gum as a distinctive feature missing there

Surface Forms

Melia Azadirachta singular
Melia Azadirachtas plural

Morphology

Melia + Azadirachta

Both constituents are botanical names referring to trees: 'Melia' denotes a group of deciduous trees and 'Azadirachta' is a genus name associated with neem trees, so together they form a binomial indicating a type of tree. A B1 learner who knows those constituent meanings can therefore recognise it denotes a tree (transparent), although finer details like semi-evergreen habit or medicinal uses are specialized and not fully deducible from the names alone.

Etymology

Melia Azadirachta probably comes from old local names for the neem tree: Melia was an old word for a kind of tree, and Azadirachta comes from Persian words people used for the neem. Because people long used the tree for a bitter tonic, medicine, and natural pest control, the name refers to the same useful tree today.