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Diospyros lotus

Diospyros lotus

9.9
A small Asian persimmon tree that makes sweet yellow or dark fruit
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Diospyros lotus
  • The small, dark fruit of the Diospyros lotus ripens in autumn and is a delicacy in local markets.

Examples

  • The Diospyros lotus produces sweet fruit that is enjoyed fresh or dried.

  • Farmers in Central Asia have cultivated Diospyros lotus for centuries due to its valuable crop.

  • The Diospyros lotus tree can grow quite tall.

  • Have you ever tasted Diospyros lotus fruit?

  • The small, dark fruit of the Diospyros lotus is a delicacy often used in traditional desserts.

  • Farmers in Central Asia harvest the yellow fruit of the Diospyros lotus in late autumn.

  • Many people enjoy the sweet, edible fruit of the Diospyros lotus during the harvest season.

Synonyms

date plum
vsDiospyros lotus
9.9

A small sweet fruit from a tree grown in Central Asia and Afghanistan

is valued broadly across several cultures rather than mainly in one region

Surface Forms

Morphology

Diospyros + Lotus

The expression is a Linnaean binomial combining a genus name (Diospyros) and a species epithet (lotus), so a learner who knows the parts could infer it refers to a plant or tree species. However, the precise sense 'an Asian persimmon tree cultivated for its fruit' is not predictable from the constituents (species epithets are often arbitrary or referential rather than compositional), so the full meaning requires prior knowledge.

Etymology

Diospyros lotus may get its name from old Greek words: Diospyros can mean 'divine fruit' or 'fruit of Zeus', and lotus links it to the sweet 'lotus' fruit from old stories. So, the name gives a clear image of a small, sweet, much-loved fruit, which fits this persimmon tree today.