black wattle
- noun
- Australian
:
acacia negra
- The black wattle is known for its dark bark, which is rich in tannins and valuable for leather tanning.
Examples
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Farmers often plant black wattle to improve soil quality and as a source of tannins for the leather industry.
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The black wattle tree can grow up to 10 meters high and is a vital part of Australia’s ecosystem.
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They walked on through the forest of black wattle, their boots crunching against a thin carpet of tiny fallen leaves and seed pods.
Fiction book (1995)
Synonyms
1
9.9
A tree from Australia often used for poles and fences
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'black' modifies 'wattle' (a type of acacia), so a learner who knows both words would infer it denotes a kind of wattle tree that is black or dark. The specific encyclopedic detail about tanning is additional information but does not prevent the basic meaning being transparently derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Black wattle gets its name from the old word wattle, meaning a fence or wall made from woven branches, and from its dark black bark, so people called this Acacia tree the black wattle. That's why black wattle today means an Australian acacia whose bark is used to tan leather and whose trees are often planted to help control soil.