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Glite Dictionary
Kentucky coffee tree

Kentucky coffee tree

8.7
A large North American tree with divided leaves and hard seed pods whose seeds are used as a coffee substitute
  • noun
  • /kənˈtʌki ˈkɔfɪ tri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : árbol de café de Kentucky
  • The Kentucky coffee tree is valued for its ornamental beauty and unique seed pods.

Examples

  • Pioneers once roasted seeds from the Kentucky coffee tree as a coffee substitute.

  • We visited the arboretum to see a rare Kentucky coffee tree in bloom.

  • The Kentucky coffee tree is known for its unique seed pods.

  • Many Kentucky coffee trees grow in the eastern United States.

  • In the park, a tall Kentucky coffee tree provides shade on hot summer days.

  • The Kentucky coffee tree can grow to be quite large, making it a stunning addition to any landscape.

  • After the storm, several branches from the Kentucky coffee tree fell to the ground, showcasing its heavy pods.

Synonyms

Gymnocladus dioica
vsKentucky coffee tree
  • Specialized
9.9

A large North American tree with many small leaflets and hard brown seed pods

is the common name used instead of the formal Latin species name
chicot
vsKentucky coffee tree
  • US
9.9

A tall tree from central and eastern North America with large divided leaves and long brown seed pods

is the general common name rather than a regional label
bonduc
vsKentucky coffee tree
  • US
9.9

A large tree with divided leaves and woody brown pods whose seeds are sometimes roasted as a coffee substitute

is the common, nontechnical name for the same species

Surface Forms

Kentucky coffee tree singular
Kentucky coffee trees plural

Morphology

Kentucky + coffee + tree

The phrase is compositionally built from its parts: 'Kentucky' (a place), 'coffee' (relating to the coffee plant/beans) and 'tree' (a plant). A B1 learner who knows these words will reasonably infer it is a tree associated with Kentucky that is related to coffee (i.e. has coffee-like seeds or is used as a coffee substitute); this literal, modifier+noun compounding pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore transparent.

Etymology

Kentucky coffee tree gets its name from early settlers who roasted its hard seeds and used them to make a drink like coffee. People in Kentucky used the seeds as a 'coffee' substitute, so the coffee part of the name stuck and came to mean the tree.