Cuban mahogany
- noun
- /ˈkjuːbən məˈhɔɡəni/
- Specialized
:
madera de caoba cubana
- Overharvesting has made Cuban mahogany increasingly rare in its native habitat.
Examples
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The furniture was crafted from Cuban mahogany, giving it a rich, deep color.
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The cabinet is made of Cuban mahogany.
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Collectors prize antique desks made from genuine Cuban mahogany.
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Many furniture makers prefer Cuban mahogany for its durability.
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The cabinet is made from beautiful Cuban mahogany, known for its durability and rich color.
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He chose Cuban mahogany for the dining table because of its stunning reddish-brown hue.
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The woodworker praised the quality of Cuban mahogany for its superb finishing capabilities.
Synonyms
A tree from the Caribbean that gives hard reddish-brown wood used for fine furniture
A mahogany tree from the Caribbean with hard reddish wood used for fine furniture
A tree from the Caribbean that gives deep brown, strong wood used for furniture
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'mahogany that comes from or is associated with Cuba' is directly and compositionally derived from 'Cuban' (pertaining to Cuba) + 'mahogany' (a tropical hardwood). This origin+noun pattern is a common, predictable modifier structure across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Cuban mahogany comes from a simple picture: Cuban shows the tree is 'from Cuba' and mahogany is the name of a hard, reddish-brown 'wood' used for fine furniture. So, the phrase now means that valuable wood and the tree that produces it.
