white maire
- noun
- New Zealand
- We found several white maire trees bearing bright red fruit along the trail.
Examples
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The white maire is cherished for its attractive red, pulpy fruit that many native birds enjoy.
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The threatened white maire is an important component of certain New Zealand forests.
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Restoration projects have included planting white maire to support native biodiversity.
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The white maire tree produces beautiful red fruits.
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Are there many white maires in New Zealand?
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While hiking in the forest, we spotted a white maire tree full of bright red fruit.
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Children learned about the white maire during their field trip to the botanical garden.
Synonyms
A small tree from New Zealand with red soft fruit containing one seed
Surface Forms
Morphology
white + maire
This is a simple adjective + noun composition: 'white' modifies the noun 'maire', so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it as a kind or variety of maire that is white. The specific botanical details (e.g. red pulpy fruit) are encyclopedic facts about the species rather than required to derive the basic compositional meaning.
Etymology
White maire gets its name from the Māori word 'maire' for native trees and the word white for its pale bark. Picture a pale-trunked tree with bright red fruit — that image helps you remember this small New Zealand tree.