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Tectona grandis

Tectona grandis

9.1
A tall tropical tree grown for hard, long-lasting wood called teak
  • noun
  • /tɛkˈtoʊnə ˈɡrændɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : teca
  • Much of the best outdoor furniture is made from Tectona grandis because of its strength and resistance to weather.

Examples

  • The distinctive grain of Tectona grandis makes it highly valued for luxury boat decking.

  • Many plantations of Tectona grandis have been established in tropical Africa to supply the timber industry.

  • The Tectona grandis is known for its high-quality timber.

  • Did you know that Tectona grandis can live for over 100 years?

  • Many plantations of Tectona grandis have been established in tropical Africa to supply the timber industry.

  • Much of the best outdoor furniture is made from Tectona grandis because of its strength and resistance to weather.

  • The distinctive grain of Tectona grandis makes it highly valued for luxury boat decking.

Synonyms

teak
vsTectona grandis
3 5.4

A tall tropical tree with hard wood used for furniture

is the scientific species name used in botanical and formal contexts

Surface Forms

Morphology

Tectona + grandis

This is a Latin binomial: 'Tectona' signals the teak genus (so one constituent points to a tree), but 'grandis' is not defined here and is a Latin adjective (meaning 'large') rather than a common English word. Understanding that the phrase names a species requires knowledge of taxonomic/Latin naming conventions, so the meaning is partially inferable but not fully predictable to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Tectona grandis is the scientific name for the teak tree, a very tall tropical tree used for strong, weather-resistant wood. The part grandis means 'large', so the name gives an image of a big tree that makes the hard wood called 'teak', which helps you remember its meaning.