Philippine mahogany
- noun
- /ˈfɪlɪpiːn məˈhɑːɡəni/
- Philippine
:
madera de caoba filipina
- Cigar boxes made of Philippine mahogany are renowned for their delicate aroma and finish.
Examples
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They used Philippine mahogany to panel the luxurious hotel lobby.
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I love the rich color of Philippine mahogany furniture.
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The boat was constructed from solid Philippine mahogany, giving it both strength and beauty.
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The table is made of Philippine mahogany.
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Cigar boxes crafted from Philippine mahogany are prized for their rich color and luxurious finish.
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The elegant furniture in the dining room was made from Philippine mahogany, showcasing its fine grain.
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We selected Philippine mahogany for the new cabinets because of its durability and beautiful reddish hue.
Synonyms
11
5.3
A tropical tree or its strong reddish-brown wood used for fine furniture
A large Philippine tree with hard reddish wood used for furniture and building
A large tree from the Philippines with red wood used for building and furniture
A tree from the Philippines with hard red fragrant wood used for furniture and building
A Philippine tree with hard red wood that smells pleasant
A large tree from Southeast Asia with reddish wood and dark grain
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase simply combines the adjective 'Philippine' (from the Philippines) with the noun 'mahogany' (a type of hardwood), so its meaning — mahogany originating from the Philippines — is directly derivable from the parts. This is a literal, compositional geographic + noun construction that is cross-linguistically common and should be clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Philippine mahogany came from wood sellers who put Philippine to show where the wood came from and mahogany to compare it with the well-known red furniture wood. So the name now brings to mind a hard, reddish tropical timber from the Philippines used for boxes, furniture, and boats.