tree fern
1
6.1
- noun
- /tri fɜrn/
:
helecho arbóreo
- We marveled at the size of a giant tree fern during our hike in the rainforest.
- Australian tree fern
- tree fern plant
Examples
-
Lacy queen palms, Australian tree ferns, and other greenery swayed sensuously under the caress of the tropical zephyr.
Fiction book (1991) -
I can recognize species of passionflowers, cannas, ipomeas, Xanthosoma, and tree ferns.
Academic text (2002) -
- It's a tropical tree-fern.
-
The tree ferns he sketched appeared two years later in grand scale on this canvas.
Academic text (2002) -
Midcanvas, a small mountain cuts the horizon line; between the tree ferns and the mountain flows a river.
Academic text (2002) -
Lizards fly between the tree ferns that stand at the roadside.
Fiction book (1996) -
The tree fern relates to their Corner's Model, one example of which is given below (Oenocarpus distichus).
Academic text (2002) -
Another of Church's sketches from Jamaica features a tree fern, a plant whose pattern of growth resembles that of some palms.
Academic text (2002) -
Venturing into the rainforest just behind his house, Kolea noticed an abundance of tree seedlings growing on the fallen logs of the hapu'u tree fern.
Academic text (2003) -
The Australian tree fern has a thick trunk and large, arching fronds that create a lush greenery.
How Tall
1
6.1
- Specialized
31
2.4
- UK
14
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'tree' modifies 'fern' to indicate a fern that has a tree-like trunk/crown, so a learner who knows both words can infer a fern that is large/woody. This type of noun-noun compound is cross-linguistically common in botanical terms and follows straightforward English compounding patterns, making it transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Tree fern gets its name from the plant's look: it has a thick, woody trunk and a ring of large leaves at the top, so the fern looks like a small tree. That's why the name means a 'fern' that looks like a 'tree' today.