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true mahogany

true mahogany

7.7
A tree from the Caribbean that gives deep brown, strong wood used for furniture
  • noun
  • /truː məˈhɑːɡəni/
translation icon : madera de caoba verdadera
  • The furniture was crafted from true mahogany, prized for its deep color and durability.

Examples

  • Unlike African mahogany, true mahogany is native to the Caribbean and has a finer grain.

  • Export restrictions were introduced to protect true mahogany forests in the West Indies.

  • The furniture is made of true mahogany.

  • Is this piece crafted from true mahogany?

  • The furniture was crafted from true mahogany, prized for its deep color and durability.

  • Export restrictions were introduced to protect true mahogany forests in the West Indies.

  • Unlike African mahogany, true mahogany is native to the Caribbean and has a finer grain.

Synonyms

Swietinia mahogani
vstrue mahogany
  • Specialized
9.9

A mahogany tree from the Caribbean with hard reddish wood used for fine furniture

is the original commercial source and exact species rather than a general one
Dominican mahogany
vstrue mahogany
  • Specialized
8.9

A tree from the Caribbean that gives hard reddish-brown wood used for fine furniture

is the original source species rather than another valuable hardwood tree
Cuban mahogany
vstrue mahogany
  • Specialized
8.2

A tree from the Caribbean with hard reddish-brown wood used for furniture

is the established original commercial source not just any valued species

Surface Forms

true mahogany singular

Morphology

true + mahogany

The phrase simply combines 'true' (genuine) with 'mahogany' (a type of hardwood), so its meaning—genuine/original mahogany or the species that yields authentic mahogany—is directly derivable from the parts. This adjective+noun composition is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.

Etymology

True mahogany comes from early wood traders who found a rich, deep-red wood from the Caribbean tree and used true to show it was the original mahogany. So today True mahogany means the real, good-quality mahogany wood from the West Indies, not other woods sometimes called 'mahogany'.