akee tree

1 9.9

A tropical tree with red fruit that can make you sick unless fully ripe

noun
/əˈkiː trē/

: árbol de akee

Before eating the fruit of the akee tree, it is important to make sure it is fully ripe.

Examples

The akee tree thrives in Jamaica’s warm climate and is known for its striking red fruit.
We planted an akee tree in our garden to enjoy both its shade and colorful blossoms.
The akee tree is known for its beautiful flowers.
Many akee trees grow in Jamaica.
Before eating the fruit of the akee tree, it is important to make sure it is fully ripe.
The akee tree thrives in Jamaica’s warm climate and is known for its striking red fruit.
We planted an akee tree in our garden to enjoy both its shade and colorful blossoms.

Synonyms

Blighia sapida

vsakee tree

Specialized

1 9.9

A tropical tree from West Africa that has sweet-smelling flowers and edible fruit called ackee

is the common tree name used in everyday and regional speech

akee

vsakee tree

1 9.9

An evergreen tree in tropical regions that has flowers and red fruits people cook and eat

is the regional common name stressing Caribbean use and possible toxicity

Surface Forms

akee tree singular

akee trees plural

Morphology

akee + tree

This is a straightforward noun compound: 'akee' names the species and 'tree' indicates the plant form, so a learner who knows both constituents will derive the meaning directly. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, and species names forming 'X tree' are cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Akee tree may come from a West African word for the fruit that people brought to the Caribbean. One popular story says the word akee was the local name for the fruit, and because the fruit must be fully ripe before eating or it can make you sick, the name came to stand for the tree and its special fruit.