bonduc nut
- noun
- Australian
- The craftsman used a bonduc nut as the centerpiece of the necklace.
Examples
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Collectors sought out jewelry featuring the distinctive shape of the bonduc nut.
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Children enjoy playing traditional games using bonduc nuts as play pieces.
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The bonduc nut is often used in traditional jewelry.
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Have you ever seen a bonduc nut?
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Collectors sought out jewelry featuring the distinctive shape of the bonduc nut.
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The craftsman used a bonduc nut as the centerpiece of the necklace.
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The bonduc nut is often used in traditional jewelry.
Synonyms
A large hard seed with a shell that you can eat
A hard shiny grey seed from a tree often used to make jewelry
Hard shiny grey seed from a tropical tree that people use to make jewelry and decorations
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward noun+noun composition: 'bonduc' names a specific coastal tree that yields bead-like seeds and 'nut' denotes a hard seed, so 'bonduc nut' literally refers to the seed of the bonduc tree. This follows a common, cross-linguistic compounding pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The noun bonduc nut comes from the hard, shiny seed of the bonduc tree; people called the seed a nut and often used it as 'beads' or small jewelry. That's why bonduc nut today means that tough, round seed used for making necklaces, ornaments, or play pieces.