Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
royal palm

royal palm

1 5.6
A tall palm tree with long feathery leaves and a smooth straight trunk
  • noun
  • /ˈrɔɪəl pɑːlm/
  • US
translation icon : palma real
  • The artist composed the print so that the Fountain of the Indian is clearly visible in the background in an elevated position, flanked by royal palm trees.
  • royal palm tree
  • row of royal palms
  • one royal palm

Examples

  • The grassy median paraded a row of royal palms.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The grassy median paraded a row of royal palms.

  • The big royal palm that had stood at its center was no longer there.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Wiley recognized the land as Post Island, higher than the other islands, with the one big royal palm in the center.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The most conspicuous of these is a cabbage palm, one of the royal palms.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Thick-walled to keep out the heat, houses in Miraflores are set back from wide boulevards lined with royal palms and poinsettia trees.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • In the centre of the Paseo is the beautiful Glorieta and fountain of India, surrounded by noble palmas reales (royal palms).

    Academic text (2013)

  • Suddenly he found himself exiled on a strange island among loud but unintelligible speakers: "We went down to Camaguey, saw several cities besides Havana, and plenty of sugar cane and royal palms."

    Academic text (1996)

  • We drove through an alley of 80-foot tall royal palms alongside the rolling golf course.

  • The Plaza is the greenest area of Old Havana, with a large park in the center filled with banyan trees and royal palms.

Synonyms

Roystonea regia
vsroyal palm
  • Specialized
9.4

A tall palm tree with a smooth trunk and long feathery leaves

is the common name used instead of the scientific name

Surface Forms

royal palm singular
royal palms plural

Morphology

royal + palm

The compound is directly compositional: 'royal' (relating to kings/majestic) modifies 'palm' (a type of tree), so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand this denotes a particular/majestic type of palm tree. Specific botanical or geographic details (native to Florida/Cuba) are not derivable, but the basic meaning 'a kind of palm tree, notable or grand' is transparently inferred.

Etymology

Royal palm may come from the tree's tall, smooth trunk and the top of leaves that look like a royal 'crown', so people started calling that palm 'royal'. That's why royal palm means a tall, beautiful palm tree.