thatch palm
- noun
- US
:
palma de techo
- Many houses in the Caribbean feature roofs made from thatch palm leaves.
Examples
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A finely rendered tree in the foreground—a silver thatch palm, Coccothrinax argentata—pins the locale in the Caribbean, probably Jamaica.
Academic text (2002) -
The thatch palm is commonly used for making roofs in tropical regions.
-
Church's sketch of a silver thatch palm, right, dates from 1865.
Academic text (2002) -
The thatch palm grows well in the humid climate of southern Florida.
Synonyms
A small palm tree from southern Florida and the West Indies that looks like the silvertop palmetto
A small palm tree from southern Florida and the West Indies that looks like the silvertop palmetto
A small palm tree from southern Florida and the West Indies with leaves used to make roofs
A small palm tree with silvery leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly built from 'thatch' (roofing material made of plant leaves) + 'palm' (a palm tree), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a palm associated with thatching (a palm whose leaves are used for thatch). This noun–noun compositional pattern is common and transparent across languages, making the meaning predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Thatch palm gets its name from people using the palm's long leaves to make a roof covering called thatch. So the name simply means a palm tree whose leaves are used for making roofs.
