tulip poplar
1
6.6
- noun
- /ˈtuːlɪp ˈpɒplər/
- US
:
álamo tulipán
- I had noticed the burned branches in the live oaks, and the sycamores and the tulip poplars, which are the first trees of fall to shed, had begun to lose their leaves earlier this year.
Examples
-
In the forest, the tall tulip poplar stood out with its unique tulip-shaped flowers.
-
The man skipped off into the trees, ducking behind a big tulip poplar.
Fiction book (1997) -
The tulip poplars had faded to yellow before September came.
Fiction book (1995) -
It is not clear who was responsible for the planting of the tulip poplars in Oklahoma.
Academic text (2011) -
In the permanent forest, they planted tulip poplars, green ash, and swamp black gum; then they let native plant species establish among the trees over time.
Academic text (2003) -
An upland forest dominated by white oak, tulip poplar, black gum, and red maple covers the ridges.
Academic text (1995) -
He looked up at the maples and oaks, the tulip poplar with its tall, crooked trunk.
Fiction book (1998) -
Forests of hickory, maple, and tulip poplar open here and there into wavy, tree-edged meadows.
Fiction book (2002) -
There were fences and hedges, dozens of tulip poplars, and an orchard just beyond the kitchen where peacocks strutted.
Fiction book (1992) -
The tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is a majestic tree found naturally occurring in the deciduous forests east of the Mississippi.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
1
5.2
A tall North American tree that has large yellow and green tulip-shaped flowers and soft pale wood for furniture
A tall North American tree with tulip-shaped yellow-green flowers and soft white wood used for furniture
A tall tree from North America that loses its leaves and has greenish-yellow tulip-shaped flowers
A tall North American tree with tulip-shaped yellow flowers and soft white wood used for cabinets
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'tulip poplar' transparently combines 'tulip' (a flower) and 'poplar' (a tree), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a kind of poplar associated with tulip-like flowers. This is a straightforward descriptive naming pattern common across languages and does not require idiomatic or metaphorical knowledge.
Etymology
Tulip poplar is a name that gives a clear picture: the tree makes big flowers that look like a tulip and it grows tall and straight like a poplar. That's why the name tells you it is a large American tree with light, soft 'wood' often used to make furniture.