yellow cypress
- noun
- US
:
ciprés amarillo
- Several yellow cypress trees were planted along the coastal trail for shade and ornamentation.
Examples
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The yellow cypress tree is beautiful.
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The dense wood of the yellow cypress is highly valued for its durability and resistance to decay.
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Hikers admired the towering yellow cypress as they explored the old-growth forests of British Columbia.
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Many yellow cypresses grow along the coast.
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The garden features a beautiful yellow cypress, which provides excellent shade during the summer.
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They chose yellow cypress for the decking because of its durability and resistance to decay.
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In the park, a tall yellow cypress stood out among the other trees with its striking color.
Synonyms
A tall evergreen tree from the Pacific coast grown for shade and for its long-lasting, fragrant wood
A tall evergreen tree from the Pacific coast of North America often planted for its wood and beauty
A tall evergreen tree from the Pacific coast of North America often grown in gardens
A tall evergreen tree from the Pacific coast of North America often grown in gardens and liked for its wood
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward color + noun combination: a learner who knows 'yellow' and 'cypress' will readily infer it refers to a cypress tree that is yellowish or identified by that color. The construction follows a common adjective + noun compositional pattern (cross-linguistically frequent), so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Yellow cypress likely comes from a simple picture: the tree often has pale, yellow wood or bark and it looks like other trees called cypress, so people named it by joining those words. That's why yellow cypress now means 'a tall evergreen tree' also called 'Alaska cedar'.
