carob tree

5.7

A tree that keeps its leaves all year and makes sweet pods used like chocolate

noun
/ˈkɛrəb tri/

: algarrobo

During ancient times, seeds from the carob tree were used as a unit of weight.

Examples

The carob tree thrives in warm climates.
The carob tree is widely cultivated in Mediterranean countries for its nutritious pods.
They planted a carob tree in their garden to enjoy its shade and sweet pods.
Many carob trees can be found in southern Spain.
The carob tree produces edible pods that are often ground into a powder for use in desserts.
I learned that the carob tree is a popular alternative to chocolate due to its sweet flavor.
In Mediterranean regions, the carob tree is commonly used to make a healthy chocolate substitute.

Synonyms

carob

vscarob tree

1 7.2

A tree that keeps green leaves all year and makes long edible pods

is the same idea but in a two-word form rather than a shorter name

Ceratonia siliqua

vscarob tree

Specialized

9.9

A Mediterranean evergreen tree with edible pods used instead of chocolate

is the common two-word form instead of the scientific label

carob bean tree

vscarob tree

7.2

An evergreen tree that grows in Mediterranean countries and makes sweet pods eaten like chocolate

is the neutral modern two-word label without religious connotations

algarroba

vscarob tree

9.9

A Mediterranean tree that always has green leaves and grows sweet edible pods used like chocolate

focuses on the tree producing edible pods mainly for human food

Surface Forms

carob tree singular

carob trees plural

Morphology

carob + tree

The meaning is directly and transparently composed from 'carob' (a plant that produces sweet pods) and 'tree' — i.e., the tree that is a carob. This noun–noun compound follows a regular compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Carob tree gets its name from the small seeds inside its long, sweet pods; one popular story says people used these seeds as a small weight to measure gold and gems, and that weight name later became 'carat'. So the word points to the tree that makes those edible pods, which are still eaten and used as a 'chocolate substitute' today.