Diospyros lotus
- noun
- Specialized
- The small, dark fruit of the Diospyros lotus ripens in autumn and is a delicacy in local markets.
Examples
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The Diospyros lotus produces sweet fruit that is enjoyed fresh or dried.
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Farmers in Central Asia have cultivated Diospyros lotus for centuries due to its valuable crop.
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The Diospyros lotus tree can grow quite tall.
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Have you ever tasted Diospyros lotus fruit?
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The small, dark fruit of the Diospyros lotus is a delicacy often used in traditional desserts.
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Farmers in Central Asia harvest the yellow fruit of the Diospyros lotus in late autumn.
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Many people enjoy the sweet, edible fruit of the Diospyros lotus during the harvest season.
Synonyms
A small sweet fruit from a tree grown in Central Asia and Afghanistan
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.