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northern pin oak

northern pin oak

6.3
A small to medium oak tree from east-central North America with leaves that have many sharp points
  • noun
  • /ˈnɔrðərn pɪn oʊk/
  • US
translation icon : roble pináceo del norte
  • The northern pin oak grows well in many soil types and provides shade during hot summers.

Examples

  • In autumn, the leaves of the northern pin oak turn a brilliant red, enhancing the beauty of the landscape.

  • Many birds build nests in the sturdy branches of the northern pin oak during the spring season.

  • (b) A northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis E. J. Hill) stand at Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

pin oak
vsnorthern pin oak
  • US
1 5.0

A large oak tree that grows fast with deeply cut leaves and bright red color in autumn

is smaller and has more sharply pointed leaf lobes
Quercus ellipsoidalis
vsnorthern pin oak
  • Specialized
9.9

A small to medium oak tree with pointed lobes on its leaves that loses them in winter

is the regional form found in east central North America
Quercus palustris
vsnorthern pin oak
  • Specialized
8.3

A medium-to-large fast-growing tree with deeply lobed leaves that turn bright red in autumn and grows well in wet soil

is smaller and has sharply pointed rather than deep lobes

Surface Forms

Morphology

northern + pin + oak

The phrase is compositionally analyzable: 'oak' clearly identifies a tree and 'northern' signals a geographic/varietal qualifier, so a learner who knows those words can infer it is a type of oak found in the north. However, 'pin' here is part of a lexicalized species name (pin oak) whose specific sense or origin is not transparently derived from the common noun 'pin', so the full, specific species sense is not entirely predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Northern pin oak may get its name from the tree's many small, pointy twigs and its leaves with sharp points that look like tiny 'pins', so the word pin helps you remember this oak's pointed leaves.