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Glite Dictionary
tuba root

tuba root

9.9
A climbing plant whose root has a poison used to stun fish and kill insects
  • noun
  • /ˈtuːbə ruːt/
  • Philippine
translation icon : raíz de tuba
  • Scientists extract rotenone from tuba root as a natural insecticide.

Examples

  • The villagers used tuba root to stun fish in the river for easier catching.

  • You should handle tuba root carefully because it contains toxic compounds.

  • The tuba root is often found in tropical forests.

  • Many people use tuba roots for natural pest control.

  • Scientists extract rotenone from tuba root to use as a natural insecticide.

  • The villagers used tuba root to poison fish, making them easier to catch.

  • You should handle tuba root carefully, as it can be toxic if ingested.

Synonyms

Derris elliptica
vstuba root
  • Specialized
9.9

A woody vine from Southeast Asia with bright green leaves and roots used to make insect poison

is noted mainly for swollen roots used to kill fish and insects
derris root
vstuba root
  • Specialized
9.9

The root of a climbing plant used to make a natural insect poison

is used both for killing fish and as an insecticide and has notable swollen roots

Surface Forms

tuba root singular
tuba roots plural

Morphology

tuba + root

The modifier 'tuba' is not a transparent, common English lexical item (marked as '[Word not found]'), so knowing 'root' alone does not allow a B1 learner to infer the botanical meaning. The phrase names a specific plant and its properties, a specialized, lexicalized reference that cannot be derived from the constituents, making it unpredictable for learners.

Etymology

Tuba root is the name of a vine whose swollen roots were crushed and put into rivers to make fish weak and float so people could catch them easily. Because the same root also killed insects, it became a 'natural insecticide', and today tuba root refers to a plant whose roots contain a poison used for fishing and to kill insects.