sassafras tree
- noun
- /ˈsæsəˌfræs tri/
- US
:
árbol de sasafrás
- Look at that sassafras tree!
Examples
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We spotted a sassafras tree in the woods, easily recognized by its distinctive leaves.
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Many herbalists use extracts from the sassafras tree for its potential medicinal properties.
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The aromatic oil extracted from the sassafras tree was once common in root beer.
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The bark of the sassafras tree has long been used to make tea and traditional medicines.
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The sassafras tree has beautiful leaves.
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The sassafras tree is known for its distinctive aromatic leaves and is often found in moist woodlands.
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In North America, the sassafras tree is recognized for its unique bark, which is a source of sassafras oil.
Synonyms
A North American tree with fragrant leaves and bark used to make oil and tea
A North American tree with leaves and bark that have a strong smell and are used for flavoring and medicine
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'sassafras' (a fragrant North American deciduous tree) and 'tree' and simply denotes a tree of that species. This straightforward noun+noun identification is cross-linguistically common and immediately derivable by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Sassafras tree may come from the name people used for a fragrant tree whose bark and roots were used long ago to make 'root beer' and 'medicine'. So the name helps us remember a tree with a strong smell and useful bark.
