screw pine

9.3

A tropical tree with strong roots that grow above the ground, long narrow leaves, and conelike edible fruit

noun

: pandanus

In coastal gardens, the screw pine is valued for its drought tolerance and striking prop roots.

Examples

The screw pine produces long, narrow leaves that are often woven into mats and baskets.
Her recipe included slices of the ripe fruit from a screw pine gathered in the tropics.
The screw pine grows near the beach.
I saw a screw pine in Hawaii last summer.
In coastal gardens, the screw pine is valued for its drought tolerance and striking prop roots.
Her recipe included slices of the ripe fruit from a screw pine gathered in the tropics.
The screw pine produces long, narrow leaves that are often woven into mats and baskets.

Synonyms

pandanus

vsscrew pine

Specialized

9.9

A tropical tree with stilt-like roots, edible cone-shaped fruit, and long leaves used for weaving

is the common name used instead of the scientific genus term

Surface Forms

screw pine singular

screw pines plural

Morphology

screw + pine

The compound is partially compositional: a B1 learner who knows 'screw' (suggesting a spiral shape) and 'pine' (a type of tree) can infer this refers to a kind of tree with screw/spiral-like features. However, the botanical sense (Pandanus) and the fact that it is not a true pine require specific world knowledge and the modifier 'screw' has a specialized descriptive use, so the meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Screw pine may come from the plant's leaves, which grow around the stem in a tight spiral like a screw, and from its cone-like fruit that made people think of a pine. So the name describes how it looks, not that it is a real pine tree.