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Glite Dictionary
Cuban bast

Cuban bast

9.9
A tree from Cuba and Jamaica with hairy leaves and orange flowers used for furniture and gunstocks
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : bastón cubano
  • The wood of the Cuban bast is highly prized for fine furniture making.

Examples

  • Because of its durability, Cuban bast was once used to produce gunstocks.

  • Botanists found several mature Cuban bast trees thriving on the island.

  • The Cuban bast tree thrives in warm climates.

  • Many artisans use Cuban bast for fine furniture.

  • Artisans in Cuba frequently choose Cuban bast for crafting beautiful and durable gunstocks.

  • The leaves of the Cuban bast tree are often covered in fine hairs, giving them a unique texture.

  • Due to its strong wood, Cuban bast is a favored material for making high-quality cabinetwork.

Synonyms

Hibiscus elatus
vsCuban bast
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall forest tree from Cuba and Jamaica with orange flowers and strong wood used for furniture

is the common or trade name used in everyday contexts
blue mahoe
vsCuban bast
  • UK
9.9

An evergreen tree from Cuba and Jamaica with orange flowers and hard wood used to make furniture

is focused on the same tree but stresses timber as moderately dense

Surface Forms

Cuban bast singular
Cuban basts plural

Morphology

Cuban + bast

Although 'Cuban' clearly marks provenance, the constituent 'bast' (fibrous material) does not directly indicate a specific tree species; the MWE names a particular botanical species and its timber/flower properties, which is specialized and not compositionally predictable. A B1 learner who knows the two words would at best guess a Cuban fiber or plant, but would not reliably infer 'an erect forest tree with those characteristics', so the expression is not transparent.

Etymology

Cuban bast may come from the word bast, which means the strong 'inner bark' of a tree, and from Cuban, the country where the tree grows. People used its tough bark and good 'wood' for items like furniture and gunstocks, so the name came to mean that particular tree from Cuba and nearby islands.