flowering crab
- noun
- /ˈflaʊərɪŋ kræb/
:
manzano de flor
- In spring, the flowering crab apple tree fills the garden with beautiful pink blossoms.
- flowering crab apple
Examples
-
The problem with the lie of narrative cogency is that in life the stories don't stand clear of the underbrush; the flowering crab apple is obscured by sumac.
Academic text (1996) -
The park was vibrant with flowering crab apples blooming alongside colorful tulips.
-
Many homeowners choose a flowering crab for its stunning flowers that enhance the landscape.
Synonyms
1
4.5
A small sour apple or the tree that grows it often used to make jam
A small tree or shrub that people grow for decoration in the southeastern United States
A small tree or shrub from the southeastern United States grown for its pretty pink spring flowers
A small apple tree grown for its tart fruit or pretty spring flowers
A small crabapple tree grown for its large double pink flowers
A medium-sized tree from the eastern United States with pink blossoms and small yellow fruit
A wild crab apple tree with fragrant pink flowers
A small tree with white flowers and small yellow or red fruit
Surface Forms
Morphology
flowering + crab
The modifier 'flowering' clearly denotes producing blossoms and the compound plausibly refers to a crabapple/tree, so a learner who knows 'crab' in the horticultural (crabapple) sense could derive the meaning. However, 'crab' more commonly denotes the animal and the crabapple sense is specialized, so many B1 learners would not reliably infer the tree/shrub meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Flowering crab: The name flowering crab comes from small crabapple trees that are grown for their bright flowers. The part crab refers to the 'crabapple', a small sour apple tree, and flowering shows the tree is chosen for its blooms, so the name means a 'small tree grown for pretty flowers'.