gutta balata
- noun
- /ˈɡʌtə bəˈlɑːtə/
- Archaic
:
gutta balata
- The core of early golf balls was often made from gutta balata for its resilience.
Examples
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The invention of synthetic materials led to the decline of gutta balata in golf ball manufacturing.
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Some antique sports equipment collectors prize old gutta balata balls for their historical value.
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The old golf balls were made of gutta balata.
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Many gutta balata balls were used in the early 20th century.
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Some antique sports equipment collectors prize old gutta balata balls for their historical value.
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The core of early golf balls was often made from gutta balata for its resilience.
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The invention of synthetic materials led to the decline of gutta balata in golf ball manufacturing.
Synonyms
A tough rubber-like material from tree sap used to make golf ball covers and machine belts
A tough white rubber used to cover wires and in dental work
Surface Forms
Morphology
gutta + balata
This is a specialized, lexicalized name for a specific material (a technical loanword) rather than a compositional phrase. One constituent here ('gutta') is not a recognizable English word and the other ('balata') only indicates a rubbery material, so knowing the parts would not allow a B1 learner to infer the precise referent or usage; the meaning must be learned as a whole.
Etymology
Gutta balata comes from the tree 'sap' that makes a tough, rubber-like material, and the parts gutta and balata point to that natural substance. Because people dried and shaped this sap into hard, bouncy cores for early golf balls, the name now means the old rubber material once used in sports equipment.
