Spanish tamarind
- noun
:
tamarindo español
- The Spanish tamarind produces small, apple-shaped fruits popular in local markets.
Examples
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She planted a Spanish tamarind in her garden for its unique fruit.
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The Spanish tamarind produces small, apple-shaped fruits that are sweet and tangy.
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Researchers studied the medicinal properties of the Spanish tamarind tree in Madagascar.
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The Spanish tamarind tree grows well in warm climates.
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I planted a Spanish tamarind in my garden last year.
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She enjoys making jams from the fruits of the Spanish tamarind tree.
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In Madagascar, the Spanish tamarind is valued for its edible fruit and shade.
Synonyms
A small tree with many branches that grows in Madagascar and gives apple-shaped fruit you can eat
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally formed (ADJ + NOUN), so a B1 learner who knows 'Spanish' and 'tamarind' will most likely infer it denotes a kind of tamarind associated with Spain (a variety or origin), which gives partial comprehension. However, the specific botanical sense given (a shrubby tree native to Madagascar and occasionally cultivated) is not predictable from the constituents and appears to be a lexicalized or historical name, so full understanding requires prior exposure.
Etymology
Spanish tamarind may come from a simple picture: early traders thought the tree's small, apple-shaped fruit looked like a tamarind and added Spanish to mark it as a foreign or exotic fruit. So the name now refers to a shrubby tree with edible, tamarind-like fruit.
