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Glite Dictionary
big-leaf maple

big-leaf maple

6.0
A large western North American tree with very big leaves that have five parts and turn orange in autumn
  • noun
  • /bɪɡ liːf ˈmeɪpəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arce de hojas grandes
  • The big-leaf maple is famous for its stunning orange leaves in the fall.

Examples

  • Many hikers enjoy the shade provided by big-leaf maples during their walks.

  • Douglas firs, cedars, hemlocks, and big-leaf maples so tightly surround the house that they take away the horizon.

    Academic text (2009)

  • You can see big-leaf maples growing near the rivers in the Pacific Northwest.

Synonyms

Acer macrophyllum
vsbig-leaf maple
  • Specialized
9.5

A large maple tree from western North America with very big leaves that turn orange in autumn

is the common English name rather than the scientific name
Oregon maple
vsbig-leaf maple
  • US
7.2

A tree from western North America with large five-lobed leaves that turn orange in autumn

is the broadly used common name not the regional variant

Antonyms

dwarf maple
  • US
6.5

A small maple tree with short height and bright autumn leaves

Surface Forms

big-leaf maple singular
big-leaf maples plural

Morphology

big-leaf + maple

The compound is fully compositional: 'big-leaf' (a maple with large leaves) combined with 'maple' yields a maple species characterized by large leaves. This follows ordinary adjective/compound noun formation and is immediately inferable by a B1 learner who knows 'big', 'leaf', and 'maple', so the expression is transparent.

Etymology

Big-leaf maple gets its name from the tree's very large leaves. People called it big-leaf because the leaves can be as wide as dinner plates, and maple because it is a maple tree, so the name helps you spot the tree by its big leaves.