sisal hemp
- noun
- /ˈsaɪsəl hɛmp/
- Specialized
- Gardeners often use sisal hemp twine for tying plants, as it is strong and biodegradable.
Examples
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Traditional rugs and mats may be woven from sisal hemp for a natural, rustic appearance.
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Many fishing nets are crafted from sisal hemp.
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Gardeners often use sisal hemp twine for tying plants, as it is strong and biodegradable.
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The ropes on the old ship were made from sisal hemp because of its durability in saltwater.
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The rope is made of sisal hemp.
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The ropes on the old ship were made from sisal hemp because of its durability in saltwater.
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Traditional rugs and mats may be woven from sisal hemp for a natural, rustic appearance.
Synonyms
A tropical plant with long leaves that gives a strong natural fiber used to make rope and mats
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is compositional: 'sisal' names the plant source and 'hemp' indicates a coarse plant fiber, so together they clearly denote fiber derived from the sisal plant. This modifier+head pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Sisal hemp comes from the fiber of the sisal plant, whose long, tough leaves are pulled and twisted into strong threads. The word hemp here is an old name for a strong plant fiber, so sisal hemp means a tough plant fiber 'used for making rope, twine, and mats'.