California live oak
- noun
- /ˌkælɪˈfɔrnjə laɪv oʊk/
- Specialized
:
roble perenne de California
- Many California live oaks grow in the coastal areas.
Examples
-
In the park, several old California live oaks shade the walking trails.
-
Botanists study how the tough leaves help the California live oak survive dry summers.
-
The dense canopy of the California live oak provides shelter for many woodland animals.
-
The California live oak is a beautiful tree.
-
The California live oak is well-suited to the dry climate and provides excellent shade.
-
In the park, we spotted a California live oak with glossy leaves and a sturdy trunk.
-
Many birds build nests in the branches of the California live oak during the spring.
Synonyms
An evergreen oak tree from the west coast of North America with small thick spiny dark green leaves
A short bushy evergreen tree that grows along the west coast of North America with small thick spiny leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
California + live + oak
The phrase combines a place name + noun phrase (California + live oak), so a learner who knows 'California', 'live' and 'oak' can infer it refers to a kind of oak tree from California. However, 'live oak' as a conventional term meaning an evergreen species is a specialized use of 'live' that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
California live oak gets its name from where it grows and what kind of oak it is. People called it a live oak because it keeps its leaves and looks 'always green', and the word California shows the area where it grows, so the name means a California oak that stays green all year.
