date plum

9.9

A small sweet fruit from a tree grown in Central Asia and Afghanistan

noun

: ciruela de fecha

The date plum tree thrives in warm climates.

Examples

The small, sweet fruits of the date plum are enjoyed as a delicacy in some Central Asian countries.
She bought a basket of date plums at the market to make a traditional dessert.
Botanists often study the date plum for its resilience in dry climates.
I bought some date plums at the market yesterday.
The small, sweet fruits of the date plum are enjoyed as a delicacy in some Central Asian countries.
She bought a basket of date plums at the market to make a traditional dessert.
I bought some date plums at the market yesterday.

Synonyms

Diospyros lotus

vsdate plum

Specialized

9.9

A small Asian persimmon tree that makes sweet yellow or dark fruit

is prized especially in Afghanistan and nearby regions rather than broadly

Surface Forms

date plum singular

date plums plural

Morphology

date + plum

The compound 'date plum' combines two familiar fruit names, so a B1 learner who knows 'date' and 'plum' would reasonably infer it denotes some kind of fruit or fruit-bearing tree. However, the exact botanical identity (an Asiatic persimmon, Diospyros lotus) and specific attributes are not predictable from the constituents, making the meaning only partially transparent.

Etymology

Date plum may come from how the fruit looks and tastes: it is a small fruit that looks like a plum but is very sweet and a bit like a date. That's why the name points to a 'small, sweet fruit' from Asia.