grass tree
- noun
- Australian
:
árbol de pasto
- Early settlers used the resin from grass trees as an adhesive and sealant.
Examples
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Fire helps the grass tree to flower and regenerate in its natural habitat.
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The Australian landscape was dotted with distinctive grass trees rising above the scrub.
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The grass tree thrives in dry conditions.
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Have you seen a grass tree before?
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The grass tree can survive in harsh environments due to its thick, woody stem.
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You can often find a grass tree in the Australian bush, where it stands out among other plants.
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The Aboriginal people traditionally used the resin from a grass tree to make tools and create fire.
Synonyms
A tall Australian plant with a thick trunk and long grasslike leaves
A tall Australian plant like a tree with a thick woody stem and long narrow leaves
A very old Australian plant that looks like a tree with long leaves
A plant like a tree that grows in Australia with a thick trunk and long stiff leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound follows a transparent modifier+head pattern: 'grass' describes a quality of the 'tree', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a type of tree with grass-like leaves or appearance. This compositional naming of a subtype is cross-linguistically common, so the overall meaning is immediately derivable without special cultural knowledge.
Etymology
Grass tree gets its name from how it looks: a short, thick trunk topped by a bunch of long, thin leaves that look like grass on a tree. Early settlers also used its sticky resin, so the name helps you remember this Australian 'plant'.
