Achras zapota
- noun
- /ˈɑːkrəs zəˈpoʊtə/
- Specialized
:
zapote
- The fruit of Achras zapota is sweet and popular in many tropical countries.
Examples
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The latex from Achras zapota is a traditional source of natural chewing gum.
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The Achras zapota tree can grow up to 30 meters tall.
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Botanists studied the growth patterns of Achras zapota in various climates.
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I love the sweet fruit of the Achras zapota.
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The fruit of Achras zapota is sweet and popular in many tropical countries.
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Botanists studied the growth patterns of Achras zapota in various climates.
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The latex from Achras zapota is a traditional source of natural chewing gum.
Synonyms
A large tropical evergreen tree that produces sweet fruit and a sticky sap used for chewing gum
A large tropical evergreen tree that produces sweet fruit and sap used to make chewing gum
Large tropical tree that makes natural gum and grows sweet brown fruit
Surface Forms
Morphology
Achras + zapota
This is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Achras' (a genus of fruit trees) lets a learner infer that Achras zapota is a species of that tree, so the categorical meaning (a kind of tree) is recoverable. However, the species epithet 'zapota' is not an ordinary English word and does not transparently convey the specific properties (evergreen, tropical, chicle-producing, edible fruit), so the full lexical meaning cannot be derived from the parts.
Etymology
Achras zapota may come from old local names for the tree and its fruit: the part Achras was used for similar tropical trees, and the part zapota comes from Spanish 'zapote', a native word for a soft, sweet fruit. People noticed the tree's sticky sap used as 'chewing gum' and its tasty fruit, so the name became linked to the tree we now call Achras zapota.
