Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
broom palm

broom palm

9.9
A small palm tree from southern Florida and the West Indies that looks like the silvertop palmetto
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : palma escoba
  • Botanists often compare the broom palm to the silvertop palmetto because of their similar appearance.

Examples

  • The broom palm grows abundantly in the wetlands of southern Florida.

  • Local communities use leaves from the broom palm to make traditional brooms and other crafts.

  • The broom palm thrives in sandy soils.

  • In the garden, we planted a broom palm.

  • Botanists often compare the broom palm to the silvertop palmetto because of their similar appearance.

  • Local communities use leaves from the broom palm to make traditional brooms and other crafts.

  • The broom palm grows abundantly in the wetlands of southern Florida.

Synonyms

Thrinax parviflora
vsbroom palm
  • Specialized
9.9

A small palm tree from southern Florida and the West Indies that looks like the silvertop palmetto

is the common name used for this same small native palm

Surface Forms

broom palm singular
broom palms plural

Morphology

broom + palm

This is a noun–noun compound where 'broom' modifies 'palm', signaling a type of palm related to or resembling something called 'broom'. A B1 learner who knows both constituents will reasonably infer it denotes a particular kind of palm tree (i.e. a small palm), so the meaning is compositionally transparent.

Etymology

Broom palm gets its name from people using the tree's long, strong leaves to make brooms. So the name links the small palm to the tool and explains why it refers to this kind of tree in places like southern Florida and the West Indies.