molucca balm
- noun
- /məˈlʌkə bɑlm/
- Specialized
:
bálsamo de Molucas
- The unique, bell-shaped flowers of molucca balm make it popular in floral arrangements.
Examples
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Gardeners often plant molucca balm for its striking green calyces in summer bouquets.
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Despite its name, molucca balm is not native to the Moluccas but to western Asia.
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The garden was filled with beautiful molucca balm.
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I bought some molucca balms for my flower arrangement.
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Gardeners often plant molucca balm for its striking green calyces in summer bouquets.
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The unique, bell-shaped flowers of molucca balm make it popular in floral arrangements.
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Despite its name, molucca balm is not native to the Moluccas but to western Asia.
Synonyms
A plant that lives for one year with tall stems and green bell-shaped parts around small flowers
A tall garden plant with green bell-shaped cups around small white flowers
A small Mediterranean plant with green bell-shaped flowers and a light scent used in gardens and flower arrangements
Surface Forms
Morphology
molucca + balm
The noun 'balm' clearly signals an aromatic plant or resin, and the modifier 'Molucca' functions as a place-derived adjective (from the Moluccas), so a learner who knows both words could infer an aromatic plant/product associated with that place. However, 'Molucca' is an uncommon lexical item for B1 learners and the expression refers to a specific botanical species ('bells of Ireland'), a lexicalized name not fully predictable from the parts. For these reasons the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Molucca balm may come from old plant sellers who thought the plant came from the Moluccas; the word molucca points to that place and balm shows people saw it as a fragrant or useful plant. The plant is actually from western Asia and is often called 'bells of Ireland', so the strange name is likely an old mistake that stuck.
