feather palm
- noun
- Gardeners prefer the feather palm for its elegant, arching fronds.
Examples
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Several species of feather palm thrive in tropical and subtropical climates around the world.
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The majestic feather palm lined the avenue, adding an exotic touch to the landscape.
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The feather palm swayed gently in the breeze.
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Many feather palms thrive in tropical climates.
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Gardeners prefer the feather palm for its elegant, arching fronds.
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Several species of feather palm thrive in tropical and subtropical climates around the world.
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The majestic feather palm lined the avenue, adding an exotic touch to the landscape.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'feather' describes the shape/appearance of the palm's leaves, so a learner who knows 'feather' and 'palm' can infer 'a palm with featherlike (pinnate) leaves.' This is a straightforward attributive compound following common noun-modifier patterns and is cross-linguistically predictable, making it easy for B1 learners to understand.
Etymology
The noun feather palm comes from the tree's leaves: the long, divided leaves look like a bird's feather, and of course it's a palm tree. So the name means a palm 'with feather-like leaves'.