bottle tree
1
8.6
- noun
- Australian
:
árbol botella
- In Australia, you can often find a bottle tree with its distinctive bottle-shaped trunk along the roads.
Examples
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The bottle tree in my garden has a thick trunk that stores water for the dry season.
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The bottle tree reminds we of who was here and who's gone on.
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Did you notice my bottle tree on the way in?
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You appreciate the bottle tree each and every day, as you appreciate your loved ones.
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A blue bottle tree.
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I THOUGHT YOUR BOTTLE TREE WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM AWAY.
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The bottle tree thrives in arid climates and is known for its ability to conserve water.
Synonyms
A large tree from Queensland, Australia with a swollen bottle-shaped trunk and cream flowers
A large Queensland tree with a thick bottle-shaped trunk that stores water and cream flowers marked red inside
A group of Australian trees with swollen, bottle-shaped trunks often planted for decoration that can live with little water
A tree from northern Australia with white flowers and wide leaves
A large Australian tree from Queensland with cream flowers that have red marks inside
A tree from northern Australia with broad leaves and white flowers
A tree from eastern Australia with strong fiber and light wood used for rope and cattle food
A tall Australian tree with bright scarlet flowers
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
bottle + tree
This is a straightforward descriptive compound: 'bottle' modifies 'tree' to indicate a tree with a bottle-shaped trunk. A B1 learner who knows 'bottle' and 'tree' can readily infer the meaning because it follows common productive noun-compounding patterns found cross-linguistically.
Etymology
Bottle tree is named for its thick, bottle-shaped trunk that stores water like a real bottle, so early travelers could tap it in dry times. That's why the name means 'an Australian tree with a trunk that holds water'.