Pacific silver fir
- noun
- US
:
abeto plateado del Pacífico
- The Pacific silver fir is known for its conical crown.
Examples
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The Pacific silver fir is known for its elegant, symmetrical shape and soft needles.
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We spotted a stand of Pacific silver fir trees while hiking in the Cascades.
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When you crush the leaves of a Pacific silver fir, they release a faint citrus aroma.
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Many Pacific silver firs grow in the forests of Washington.
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The Pacific silver fir grows tall and straight, making it a popular choice for timber.
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During our hike, we spotted several Pacific silver fir trees with their distinctive conical crowns.
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The crushed leaves of the Pacific silver fir have a pleasant orange scent that attracts hikers.
Synonyms
A medium to tall fir tree from western North America with leaves that smell like an orange when crushed
A medium or tall fir tree from western North America with a cone shape and orange-smelling leaves when crushed
A medium to tall fir from western North America with a cone-shaped top, horizontal branches, and orange-smelling needles when crushed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a literal descriptive noun phrase combining 'Pacific' (geographic region) + 'silver' (color/appearance) + 'fir' (tree), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer it denotes a fir tree from the Pacific region with a silvery aspect. This kind of modifier + noun composition is a common, compositional pattern in English and other languages, making the overall meaning directly derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Pacific silver fir describes the tree's home and look: Pacific for the 'west coast' where it grows, silver for the pale, shiny undersides of its needles, and fir for the 'type of tree'. So the name points to a fir tree from the Pacific with a soft, silvery appearance.
