blue mahoe
- noun
- UK
- The durable wood from the blue mahoe is prized for making high-quality furniture and gunstocks.
Examples
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The blue mahoe tree is a striking sight in Jamaica.
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In Jamaica, blue mahoe is frequently used to make decorative wooden bowls and sculptures.
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The craftsman selected blue mahoe for the elegant table because of its unique coloration.
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Can you identify the blue mahoe among the other trees?
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In Jamaica, blue mahoe is frequently used to make decorative wooden bowls and sculptures.
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The durable wood from the blue mahoe is prized for making high-quality furniture and gunstocks.
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The craftsman selected blue mahoe for the elegant table because of its unique coloration.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A tropical tree with strong wood used for making furniture
A tree from Cuba and Jamaica with hairy leaves and orange flowers used for furniture and gunstocks
A tall forest tree from Cuba and Jamaica with orange flowers and strong wood used for furniture
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward adjective + noun: 'blue' (a color) modifying 'mahoe' (a tree), so a learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a type of mahoe tree with bluish characteristics or a species name. This adjectival naming pattern for plants is cross-linguistically common and follows normal compositional rules, making the meaning immediately accessible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The tree blue mahoe gets its name from the island word mahoe and the faint blue or blue-green shade of its wood and flowers. That's why blue mahoe today means the evergreen tree valued for its pretty wood and strong timber.