mountain maple
- noun
- /ˈmaʊntən ˈmeɪpəl/
- US
:
arce de montaña
- The gardeners chose the mountain maple for its stunning red leaves during the autumn season.
Examples
-
In the forest, the mountain maple stands out with its vibrant autumn foliage.
-
Bear oak and pitch pine are the dominant trees, usually associated with bigtooth aspen, gray birch, mountain laurel, mountain maple, paper birch, and sassafras.
Academic text (2011) -
Because the canopy is somewhat open, an understory of smaller trees is commonly present, with striped maple, mountain maple, mountain ash, and pin cherry.
Academic text (1998) -
The mountain maple is known for its brilliant scarlet leaves in the fall.
Synonyms
A small bushy maple tree from eastern North America with bright scarlet leaves in autumn
A small bushy maple with bright red leaves in autumn
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward compound formed from 'mountain' + 'maple' naming a type of maple associated with mountains; the meaning (a kind of maple tree found in mountainous or upland areas) is directly derivable from the constituents. Such taxonomic plant-naming patterns are common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Mountain maple comes from a simple picture: a maple that grows on or near a mountain. It is a 'small tree' or bush that often lives in cool, high places and turns bright red in autumn, so the name tells you both where it grows and what it looks like.
