rusty rig
- noun
- Australian
:
higuera de Port Jackson
- Gardeners recommend the rusty rig as an ornamental alternative to the banyan.
Examples
-
A row of rusty rigs was planted along the driveway for shade.
-
The rusty rig is valued for its resilience in dry climates.
-
The rusty rig is often found in Australian gardens.
-
I saw a beautiful rusty rig at the botanical garden.
-
Gardeners recommend the rusty rig as a beautiful tree for landscaping.
-
The rusty rig adds a tropical touch to gardens with its broad, leafy branches.
-
In South Africa, the rusty rig is often used to create natural brush boundaries.
Synonyms
An Australian fig tree that grows large and gives good shade in gardens
A large Australian tree with wide branches and roots that hang down, often planted for shade
An Australian tree with small leaves often grown for gardens and brushwood
A large Australian fig tree with big leaves and wide branches often planted for shade or as a garden tree
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound denotes a specific regional tree species, but the constituent meanings ('rusty' = reddish-brown; 'rig' = equipment/gear) do not indicate a plant or tree. This is a lexicalized regional name whose meaning is not derivable from its parts, so a B1 learner knowing the words would not reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Rusty rig may come from the tree's reddish bark, with rusty describing its colour and rig being an old word for a 'post' or 'pole'. People thought the trunks looked like rusty poles, so the name came to mean this kind of ornamental tree.
