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Glite Dictionary
hiccup nut

hiccup nut

9.9
A climbing shrub with bright red flowers used for decoration
  • noun
  • South African
translation icon : nuez de hipo
  • The hiccup nut is prized for its vivid red blossoms in tropical gardens.

Examples

  • The climbing nature of the hiccup nut makes it ideal for covering fences and trellises.

  • Many gardeners grow the hiccup nut as an ornamental plant in warm climates.

  • The hiccup nut is known for its striking red flowers.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the hiccup nut for its beauty.

  • Many gardeners grow the hiccup nut as an ornamental plant in warm climates.

  • The hiccup nut is prized for its vivid red blossoms in tropical gardens.

  • The climbing nature of the hiccup nut makes it ideal for covering fences and trellises.

Synonyms

Combretum bracteosum
vshiccup nut
  • Specialized
9.9

A climbing African shrub with red flowers often grown in gardens

is the general name rather than the scientific species
hiccough nut
vshiccup nut
  • South African
9.9

A shrub or climbing plant from Africa with bright red flowers

specifies botanical placement in the Combretum genus rather than appearance

Surface Forms

hiccup nut singular
hiccup nuts plural

Morphology

hiccup + nut

The meaning 'an ornamental shrub of the genus Combretum' cannot be derived from the parts: while 'nut' may suggest a seed or nut-bearing plant, it does not explain why the referent is a shrub with red flowers, and 'hiccup' offers no clear botanical sense (and is unattested here). Plant common names are often arbitrary or lexicalized, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not predict this specialized botanical meaning.

Etymology

Hiccup nut may come from its small seed pods that pop open with a quick, little hiccup, letting a hard nut fall out. So this lively popping picture helped the name stick, and today hiccup nut refers to a decorative African shrub with bright red flowers.