lime tree
1
3.0
- noun
- /laɪm tri/
- UK
:
tilo
- During spring, the lime tree blooms with clusters of fragrant yellow flowers.
Examples
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The carpenter used wood from the lime tree to craft beautiful furniture.
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You take the bark off a lime tree, it's much thinner than the Willow bark and you make a little cut and bend it and you can peel away this inner fibre.
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The old lime tree in the park provides a nice shade on hot summer days.
Synonyms
4
6.2
A large tree with heart-shaped leaves and small fragrant yellow flowers
2
7.2
A tree with heart-shaped leaves and sweet-smelling yellowish flowers
1
6.2
A large leafy tree with heart-shaped leaves and sweet-smelling yellow flowers often planted for shade
A large tree with heart-shaped leaves and sweet-smelling flowers
A large European tree with small dark green leaves often planted in parks
A medium-sized tree from Japan that people grow for its pretty leaves and flowers
A medium-sized tree from Japan grown in gardens for its pretty leaves and flowers
A large tree with leaves that are white and soft underneath and often planted in parks
A large tree from North America with dark green leaves that gives shade
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'lime' (here meaning linden) + 'tree' yields a tree of the linden genus, so the overall meaning is predictable from the constituents. Although 'lime' can also refer to a citrus fruit in other senses, given the provided constituent definition the sense is straightforward and would be understood by a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Lime tree can also mean a different tree with heart-shaped leaves and sweet flowers. One popular story says the old name for that tree sounded like 'lime', so people began to call it lime tree even though it does not make limes.