bald cypress
1
7.4
- noun
- /bɔld ˈsaɪprəs/
- US
:
ciprés calvo
- Pre-formatted table PHOTO (COLOR): Bald cypress and duckweed in Heron Pond.
- bald cypress swamps
Examples
-
The bald cypress is a remarkable tree that thrives in the wetlands of the southeastern United States.
-
Extensive bald cypress swamps took root in huge, watery depressions.
Academic text (2009) -
Bald cypresses and tupelo gums, their swollen bases disappearing beneath the black water, tower above the fog.
Academic text (2009) -
In the bayou, the bald cypress stands tall, its roots partially submerged in the water.
-
Many birds build nests in the branches of the bald cypress, making it an important part of the local ecosystem.
Synonyms
A large cypress tree with a flared trunk that grows in southern United States swamps
A tall tree that makes cones and grows in swamps, like the bald cypress
A tree that has cones and a swollen base that grows in southern US swamps
A large tree with a wide trunk base that grows in southern United States swamps
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally built from 'bald' + 'cypress', so a learner can infer it names a type of cypress characterized by being 'bald' (e.g., leafless), giving a partial clue to its meaning. However, the botanical nuance—'bald' referring to a deciduous conifer and the specific sense of the durable wood—is specialized and not fully predictable from the everyday meanings of the constituents, so it is not fully transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Bald cypress names a large swamp tree that looks 'bald' in winter because it loses its leaves. That's why the name points to the tall, bare trunks you often see rising from the water.