CHINA TREE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does China tree mean? 

• CHINA TREE (noun)
  The noun CHINA TREE has 2 senses:

1. evergreen of tropical America having pulpy fruit containing saponin which was used as soap by Native Americans

2. tree of northern India and China having purple blossoms and small inedible yellow fruits; naturalized in the southern United States as a shade tree

  Familiarity information: CHINA TREE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHINA TREE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Evergreen of tropical America having pulpy fruit containing saponin which was used as soap by Native Americans

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

China tree; chinaberry; false dogwood; jaboncillo; Sapindus saponaria

Hypernyms ("China tree" is a kind of...):

soapberry; soapberry tree (a tree of the genus Sapindus whose fruit is rich in saponin)

Holonyms ("China tree" is a member of...):

genus Sapindus; Sapindus (type genus of the Sapindaceae)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Tree of northern India and China having purple blossoms and small inedible yellow fruits; naturalized in the southern United States as a shade tree

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

azedarach; azederach; China tree; chinaberry; chinaberry tree; Melia azedarach; Melia azederach; Persian lilac; pride-of-India

Hypernyms ("China tree" is a kind of...):

tree (a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms)

Holonyms ("China tree" is a member of...):

genus Melia; Melia (type genus of the Meliaceae: East Indian and Australian deciduous trees with leaves resembling those of the ash)