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cashew tree

cashew tree

3.6
A tree in warm countries that keeps its leaves all year and makes curved nuts you eat after roasting
  • noun
  • /ˈkæʃuː triː/
translation icon : árbol de anacardo
  • Farmers cultivate the cashew tree primarily for its delicious nuts, which are often roasted before consumption.

Examples

  • Urushiol is the same chemical found in poison ivy, and it is present on the leaves of the cashew tree as well as in the raw cashew shell.

    Blog text (30)
  • There was no shade; only a few low-branching cashew trees dotted this section of the hill.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • If you eat a cashew raw, or even touch the cashew tree, you can die from an allergic reaction due to the urushiol.

    Blog text (30)
  • Someone was crouched in the branches of a cashew tree, hiding from the men! "Uncle Ghana!" called Amadou, sliding to the ground.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The cashew tree thrives in warm tropical climates, producing nuts that are enjoyed worldwide.

  • In the lush garden, the cashew tree stood tall, offering both shade and tasty nuts to passersby.

Synonyms

cashew
vscashew tree
4 1.8

A tropical evergreen tree that makes kidney-shaped nuts people roast before eating

has identical meaning but is the more common name for the tree
Anacardium occidentale
vscashew tree
  • Specialized
9.9

A tropical evergreen tree that produces cashew nuts

has same sense but is the common everyday name not the botanical term

Surface Forms

cashew tree singular
cashew trees plural

Morphology

cashew + tree

The meaning 'a tree that produces cashew nuts' is directly and compositionally derived from 'cashew' + 'tree'—a straightforward noun-noun compound naming the plant. This follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns for plants, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Cashew tree gets its name from the nut it produces: cashew may come from the Portuguese word 'caju', which they took from a local Brazilian word 'acajú' for the odd fruit with the nut attached. So cashew tree simply means 'a tree that makes cashew nuts'.