marmalade box

9.9

A tree from the West Indies and northern South America that makes orange-sized juicy fruit

noun

: marmelada

We planted a marmalade box in the garden for its shade and edible fruit.

Examples

The marmalade box produces delicious fruit that is prized in local markets.
The marmalade box tree bears juicy fruit that is often used in jams and desserts.
Many birds are attracted to the ripe fruit of the marmalade box.
The marmalade box tree produces delicious fruit.
I saw a marmalade box tree in the park.
Local farmers love to grow the marmalade box for its abundant and tasty orange-sized fruit.
Children enjoy picking the ripe fruit from the branches of the marmalade box during harvest season.

Synonyms

jagua

vsmarmalade box

9.9

A tree from the Caribbean and northern South America that bears large, orange-sized edible fruit

is the same description but used under a different name

Genipa americana

vsmarmalade box

Specialized

9.9

A tropical tree from the Caribbean and northern South America that has fruit the size of an orange

emphasizes the fruit as a physical characteristic rather than reputation

Surface Forms

marmalade box singular

marmalade boxes plural

Morphology

marmalade + box

The phrase 'marmalade box' names a tree bearing orange-sized fruit, which is not derivable from the parts: a B1 learner who knows 'marmalade' (a fruit preserve) and 'box' (a container) would most likely interpret it as a container for marmalade rather than a plant. The semantic relation between the constituents and the botanical meaning is arbitrary and not predictably compositional, so the expression is idiomatic and opaque to learners.

Etymology

Marmalade box is a name that may come from the tree's bright orange fruit and how people used them. The fruit were often made into marmalade and kept or sold in a small box, so the tree came to mean a tree that gives orange-sized edible fruit.