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Glite Dictionary
balsa raft

balsa raft

5.4
A light raft made from balsa wood used for travel on water
  • noun
  • /ˈbɔlsə ræft/
translation icon : balsa
  • The explorers crossed the ocean on a balsa raft to prove their theory about ancient travel.

Examples

  • The balsa raft floated effortlessly on the lake.

  • The museum displayed a famous balsa raft used in a historic expedition.

  • Building a balsa raft requires lightweight wood and careful construction to ensure buoyancy.

  • We built a balsa raft for our summer adventure.

  • The explorers traveled down the river on a balsa raft to study the wildlife in the area.

  • They constructed a balsa raft to cross the lake during their weekend camping trip.

  • Using a balsa raft, the team carried their supplies across the river for their research expedition.

Synonyms

raft
vsbalsa raft
92 1.5

A flat platform of logs or planks fastened together to float on water

is constructed from a very light tropical wood rather than from logs or planks

Surface Forms

balsa raft singular
balsa rafts plural

Morphology

balsa + raft

The meaning is directly compositional: 'balsa' (a very light timber) + 'raft' (a platform for water) yields a raft made of balsa wood, which implies lightness and suitability for floating. This noun+noun construction is literal and follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun balsa raft comes from boats made of very light balsa wood, where people tied pieces together so they would 'float'. So, balsa raft means 'a light raft made of balsa wood'.