arrow wood
- noun
- US
:
madera de flecha
- The indigenous people of North America often used arrow wood due to its strength and flexibility.
Examples
-
The Stillwater Natural Area is significant for such shrubs as arrow-wood, hardhack, meadowsweet, sheep laurel, winterberry, and withe-rod.
Academic text (2011) -
Still smaller trees or shrubs scattered through the forests are arrow-wood, mapleleaf viburnum, and smooth shadbush.
Academic text (2011) -
In the forest, the arrow wood provides excellent material for crafting traditional arrows.
-
Hikers might notice arrow wood bushes along the trail, which are known for their hardiness in various climates.
Synonyms
A bush from eastern North America with blue-black berries and strong wood for making arrows
A shrub with flexible wood used to make arrows and blue-black berries that birds eat
A bush from the eastern United States called northern arrowwood with white flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun compound combines 'arrow' and 'wood' in a directly compositional way, so its meaning as wood used for making arrows (or a plant known for such wood) can be inferred from the constituents. This follows common English noun-noun compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows 'arrow' and 'wood' would grasp the general sense even if they might not know the specific botanical species.
Etymology
Arrow wood is named for the plant's strong, bendy branches that people long ago used to make arrows from its wood, so the name means 'wood for arrows' today.
