gebang palm
- noun
- Australian
- The leaves of the gebang palm are commonly woven into baskets and mats in Indonesia.
Examples
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Farmers often use gebang palm leaves to thatch roofs in rural villages.
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A majestic gebang palm stood at the edge of the rice field, its fronds swaying in the wind.
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The gebang palm is often found in coastal areas.
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Many traditional houses are roofed with gebang palm leaves.
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The local artisans skillfully crafted baskets using the leaves of the gebang palm.
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In the village, many roofs are thatched with the long, sturdy leaves of the gebang palm.
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They used the dried fronds of the gebang palm to make traditional mats for the festival.
Synonyms
A large palm with big leaves used for covering roofs and weaving baskets
Surface Forms
Morphology
gebang + palm
This is a straightforward modifier + noun compound where 'palm' names the class and 'gebang' functions as a species or variety label; a learner who knows both constituents will infer it is a type of palm tree even if they lack botanical detail. The composition is literal and follows common noun-noun naming patterns, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Gebang palm likely comes from a Malay or Indonesian word gebang for a tree with very large leaves. People used these leaves to 'thatch' roofs and 'weave' baskets, so the name tells us it is a palm known for its wide leaves used to cover roofs and make containers.