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sweet almond

sweet almond

1 4.4
A small tree that makes edible nuts with a hard shell and pink flowers
  • noun
  • /swit ˈɑlmənd/
translation icon : almendra dulce
  • sweet almond oil

Examples

  • I'm not so sure that pure sweet almond oil is the best choice for the face.

    Blog text (23)
  • And thanks for the comment about the sweet almond oil, I was wondering why my hands were getting a dry feeling after using my homemade cream with it in it.

    Blog text (23)
  • The best oils to use are jojoba, sweet almond, grape seed, and extra virgin olive oil.

    Blog text (21)
  • I have leftover sweet almond oil-lemon balm infused oil.

    Blog text (23)
  • The sweet almond tree produces beautiful pink blossoms in the spring.

  • In many desserts, you can find sweet almonds as a delicious and crunchy ingredient.

  • The sweet almond is known for its edible nuts, which are often used in various culinary dishes.

Synonyms

almond
vssweet almond
12 1.6

A small tree with pink flowers that produces edible seeds

focuses on nuts having a hard shell instead of a hull
almond tree
vssweet almond
1 2.7

A small tree with pink or white flowers that produces edible nuts

specifies only pink blossoms not white
Amygdalus communis
vssweet almond
  • Archaic
9.4

A small tree with pink flowers that produces edible almonds

mentions that the nuts have a hard shell
Prunus amygdalus
vssweet almond
  • Specialized
8.9

A small tree that loses its leaves and has pink flowers and edible almonds

mentions that the nuts have a hard shell
Prunus dulcis
vssweet almond
  • Specialized
8.4

A small tree with pink spring flowers that makes almonds you can eat

mentions that the nuts have a hard shell

Surface Forms

sweet almond singular
sweet almonds plural

Morphology

sweet + almond

The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination where 'sweet' modifies 'almond', so a learner who knows 'sweet' and 'almond' can infer it refers to the edible, sweet-tasting variety/tree of almond. This compositional, descriptive pattern is regular in English (and many other languages), making the meaning directly derivable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Sweet almond is a simple name from farming: farmers called the nuts sweet not bitter to show these almond trees had nuts people could 'eat'. So sweet almond means the almond tree or nut that people grow and 'eat'.