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big-tree plum

big-tree plum

9.6
A small tree with large leaves and purplish-red fruit often planted in gardens
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : ciruelo de árbol grande
  • The big-tree plum is often planted for its attractive foliage and shade in gardens.

Examples

  • Many nurseries offer big-tree plum saplings for home landscaping projects.

  • Birds are attracted to the purplish-red fruit of the big-tree plum in late summer.

  • The big-tree plum is a beautiful addition to any garden.

  • I saw a big-tree plum in the park yesterday.

  • The big-tree plum produces delicious fruit that many enjoy making into jams and jellies.

  • In the spring, the big-tree plum blooms with beautiful flowers that attract pollinators.

  • Gardeners appreciate the big-tree plum for its lush green leaves and rich purple fruit.

Synonyms

Prunus mexicana
vsbig-tree plum
  • Specialized
9.9

A small tree from the southwestern United States with large leaves and purplish-red fruit

is the common name used instead of the scientific form

Surface Forms

big-tree plum singular

Morphology

big-tree + plum

The noun is compositionally built from familiar elements: 'plum' names the fruit/tree and 'big-tree' is interpretable as 'a large tree' modifying that plum, so a learner who knows 'big', 'tree' and 'plum' can infer it denotes a kind of plum tree with large-tree characteristics. This follows ordinary compound-noun patterns common cross-linguistically, making the meaning directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Big-tree plum comes from the plant's look: it is a plum that grows like a small tree with large leaves and purplish-red fruit, so people called it a big-tree plum. That's why the name points to a 'small tree' that bears plum-like fruit.