buffalo nut
- noun
- /ˈbʌf.ə.loʊ nʌt/
- Specialized
:
nuez búfalo
- The buffalo nut thrives by attaching its roots to those of nearby hemlock trees.
Examples
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The buffalo nut is often found growing in mixed hardwood forests in the South.
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Native Americans sometimes used the fruit of the buffalo nut for medicinal purposes.
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The buffalo nut is found in the southeastern United States.
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Many gardeners appreciate the buffalo nut for its unique flowers.
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The buffalo nut produces pulpy drupes that are attractive to local wildlife.
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In addition to its unique flowers, the buffalo nut can be parasitic on the roots of hemlocks.
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The buffalo nut is commonly found in the understory of mixed hardwood forests throughout the southeastern United States.
Synonyms
A small bush that takes food from hemlock tree roots and has pale flower spikes and soft fruit
A bush that lives on the roots of hemlock trees and has small green flowers and soft pulpy fruits
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'buffalo' and 'nut' will recognize this as a type of nut (the headword is transparent in its category 'nut'), but the modifier 'buffalo' does not transparently indicate the actual botanical source (rabbitwood) or why the name applies. Because the compound partly signals category but not the specific referent or rationale, it is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Buffalo nut The shrub has small, oily fruits and grows by attaching its roots to other trees. One simple story says people called it buffalo for its fatty feel and nut for the round fruit, so the name now means this 'shrub' with oily fruit.
