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manna ash

manna ash

9.9
A southern Mediterranean tree with white fragrant flowers and a sweet sap used as a sweetener
  • noun
translation icon : fresno de maná
  • The manna ash is commonly found in southern Italy and Sicily, where its sweet sap is harvested.

Examples

  • We admired the fragrant white blossoms of the manna ash during our walk through the Mediterranean garden.

  • Products made from manna ash sap have been used as natural sweeteners and traditional medicines.

  • The manna ash tree is known for its beautiful flowers.

  • Have you ever seen a manna ash in bloom?

  • The manna ash tree produces a sweet sap that has been cherished for centuries in Mediterranean cultures.

  • In spring, the manna ash displays clusters of fragrant white flowers that attract many pollinators.

  • Farmers in southern Italy carefully harvest the sap from the manna ash for use in traditional remedies.

Synonyms

ash
vsmanna ash
34 2.3

A tree with strong wood often grown for furniture or decoration

is a particular species with fragrant white flowers and a sweet sap
Fraxinus ornus
vsmanna ash
  • UK
9.9

A small ash tree from the southern Mediterranean that has sweet-smelling white flowers and produces a sap called manna

is the common name used in ordinary contexts rather than technical naming
flowering ash
vsmanna ash
6.2

A tree with many white flowers often grown for decoration

is the specific southern Mediterranean tree that produces a sweet tree sap

Surface Forms

manna ash singular
manna ashes plural

Morphology

manna + ash

The compound is directly compositional: 'manna' (sweet sap) + 'ash' (an ash tree) denotes an ash tree that yields manna. This noun–noun naming pattern for plants/products is common and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Manna ash may get its name from the sweet sap the tree makes, called manna. People long ago thought those sugary drops were like the 'manna' from the Bible, so the name came to mean a tree that gives sweet sap used as food and medicine.