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Chinese chestnut

Chinese chestnut

5.6
A tree from China and Korea that makes small sweet nuts you can eat
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃaɪniːz ˈʧɛstnət/
translation icon : castaña china
  • Farmers often choose the Chinese chestnut for its resilience and delicious nuts.

Examples

  • Many orchards are now growing Chinese chestnut trees as an alternative to American chestnut.

  • I love to eat Chinese chestnuts during the fall.

  • She planted a Chinese chestnut in her backyard for its delicious nuts.

  • The Chinese chestnut is valued for its resistance to blight.

  • The Chinese chestnut tree grows well in temperate climates.

  • The Chinese chestnut produces small, sweet edible nuts that are popular in many dishes.

  • During autumn, people enjoy roasting Chinese chestnuts over an open fire.

Synonyms

Castanea mollissima
vsChinese chestnut
  • Specialized
9.9

A chestnut tree from China and Korea that makes sweet nuts you can eat

is the common English name used for the same edible tree

Surface Forms

Morphology

Chinese + chestnut

The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination where 'Chinese' specifies origin or variety and 'chestnut' names the tree/nut; the meaning 'a chestnut (tree or nut) associated with China' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended referent.

Etymology

The noun Chinese chestnut names a kind of chestnut that is Chinese; imagine small trees dropping little, sweet nuts sold at street stalls. That picture helps you remember it means a tree species that makes 'sweet edible nuts' and often resists a disease that hurt other chestnuts.