rattan palm

7.9

A climbing palm whose long stems people use to make furniture and baskets

noun

Indian

: palma de ratán

The furniture was crafted from rattan palm, making it both lightweight and durable.

Examples

Local artisans in Sri Lanka have long relied on rattan palm for weaving baskets and chairs.
Harvesting the rattan palm requires skill due to the plant's spiny stems and great length.
The rattan palm is commonly found in tropical regions.
Many artisans use rattan palms to create beautiful furniture.
Local artisans in Sri Lanka have long relied on rattan palm for weaving baskets and chairs.
The furniture was crafted from rattan palm, making it both lightweight and durable.
Harvesting the rattan palm requires skill due to the plant's spiny stems and great length.

Synonyms

rattan

vsrattan palm

3 7.2

A strong, flexible stem from a tropical palm used to make furniture and baskets

is a single Sri Lankan and southern Indian species rather than the general material

Calamus rotang

vsrattan palm

Specialized

9.9

A climbing palm with long flexible stems used to make walking canes

is the common name used in general contexts rather than the species name

Surface Forms

rattan palm singular

rattan palms plural

Morphology

rattan + palm

The meaning — a type of palm characterized by long, flexible stems used for weaving — is directly and compositionally derived from 'rattan' (flexible palm stems used for weaving) + 'palm' (a tropical tree). This noun‑noun compound follows a standard, cross‑linguistically common pattern (a palm associated with rattan), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Rattan palm paints a simple picture: a palm tree with very long, thin, flexible stems called rattan, which people use like rope to weave chairs and baskets. That's why rattan palm means a palm whose stems are 'used for making furniture and canes'.