southern arrow wood
- noun
- US
:
madera de flecha del sur
- The southern arrow wood produces blue-black berries that attract various birds in late summer.
Examples
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Indigenous peoples once crafted arrow shafts from southern arrow wood because of its strength and flexibility.
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We planted southern arrow wood along the property line for its dense foliage and beautiful blossoms.
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The southern arrow wood produces berries that attract birds in late summer.
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The southern arrow wood is often found in wetlands.
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Many birds are attracted to the southern arrow wood berries.
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Indigenous peoples once crafted arrow shafts from southern arrow wood because of its strength and flexibility.
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We planted southern arrow wood along the garden path due to its dense foliage and vibrant seasonal blooms.
Synonyms
A bush from eastern North America with blue-black berries and strong wood for making arrows
A bush with tough, flexible wood that people use to make arrows
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'southern' (from the south) + 'arrow' (used for arrows) + 'wood' (tree material), so a B1 learner who knows those words can reasonably infer it refers to a southern plant or wood associated with arrows. The specific botanical sense (a shrub called arrowwood) is a predictable extension of that literal composition, making the meaning transparent.
Etymology
Southern arrow wood is named because its strong, bendy stems were once used to make arrows from the plant's wood. So the name tells us the shrub was good 'for making arrows'.
