balata tree
- noun
- /bəˈlɑːtə tri/
- Specialized
:
árbol de balata
- Local craftsmen use the red timber from the balata tree to make durable furniture.
Examples
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Many animals in the rainforest rely on the balata tree as a source of food and shelter.
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The balata tree is valued for its tough gum, which is used in various industrial applications.
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The balata tree is known for its durable wood.
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Many balata trees grow in the Amazon rainforest.
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The balata tree is known for its heavy red timber, which is highly valued in furniture making.
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Native to Central and South America, the balata tree produces a valuable gum used in industrial applications.
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The sap extracted from the balata tree can be used to make products that require elasticity and durability.
Synonyms
A large tropical tree that gives heavy red wood and a rubber-like gum
A large tropical tree from the Americas that makes a sticky gum and very hard wood
A tropical hardwood tree that gives balata, a rubber-like gum, and heavy red-brown wood
How Hard
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward noun-noun combination: 'balata' (a hardwood/gum-producing species) + 'tree', so its meaning as a tree that yields balata is directly derivable from the constituents. Although 'balata' is a low-frequency, specialized item, a B1 learner who knows both words can transparently infer the referent; this pattern is a common compositional naming strategy across languages.
Etymology
Balata tree gets its name from the sticky balata gum people cut from the trunk; balata is the gum and tree is the plant that makes it, so the name points to both the useful gum and the heavy wood.