pin cherry
- noun
- /pɪn ˈʧɛri/
- US
:
cereza espinosa
- Many birds feed on the sour red fruit of the pin cherry in late summer.
Examples
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After a fire, pin cherry shrubs are among the first plants to regrow in the area.
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The pin cherry is often found growing in clearings and along forest edges.
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The pin cherry tree blooms in early spring.
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Have you seen the pin cherries in the garden?
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The pin cherry tree is known for its bright red, sour fruit that attracts many birds in the spring.
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In the forest, I spotted a pin cherry with clusters of red berries hanging from its branches.
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During our hike, we found a pin cherry shrub that offered a tart snack for us to enjoy.
Synonyms
A small bushy wild cherry tree with bright red sour fruit
Surface Forms
Morphology
pin + cherry
The headword clearly marks a type of cherry, so a B1 learner who knows 'cherry' will understand it denotes a kind of fruit/plant. However, the modifier 'pin' does not transparently convey the specific sense (small shrub/tree with sour red fruit) to learners — it is lexicalized as a species name and its contribution is not obvious — so the overall meaning is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Pin cherry probably gets its name from the very small size of its bright red fruit; people thought the cherries looked like tiny pin heads on a cherry branch. So the name helps you remember it is a small shrub or tree with sour red fruit.
