sorb apple tree
- noun
- UK
- The sorb apple tree produces fruit that can be eaten when fully ripe.
Examples
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A mature sorb apple tree can grow up to 15 meters tall in favorable conditions.
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Traditional European orchards sometimes include the sorb apple tree for its unique berries.
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Look at that beautiful sorb apple tree over there!
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The sorb apple tree produces delicious fruit.
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The sorb apple tree produces fruit that can be eaten when fully ripe.
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A mature sorb apple tree can grow up to 15 meters tall in favorable conditions.
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Traditional European orchards sometimes include the sorb apple tree for its unique berries.
Synonyms
A medium-sized tree from Europe that produces small edible fruit
A medium-sized European tree with pear-shaped edible fruit
A medium European tree like a rowan that produces small edible fruit
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositional: 'sorb' names a specific fruit, 'apple' indicates the kind of fruit/tree, and 'tree' specifies the plant, so the overall meaning 'a tree that bears sorb apples' is directly derivable from its parts. This noun‑noun composition follows common, cross‑linguistic compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would understand the MWE.
Etymology
The name sorb apple tree may come from the old word 'sorbus', which people used for small, apple-like fruits. People called the fruit a sorb, meaning a small apple, so the phrase now means 'a tree that bears these edible berries'.