palm tree

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A tall tropical tree with a straight trunk and a crown of large fan-shaped or feathery leaves at the top.

   Grammar: Countable: one palm tree, several palm trees. You can also say just palm when the meaning is clear.

   Patterns

   • a palm tree grows
   • plant a palm tree
   • a row of palm trees

   Palm trees lined the road along the beach.

   We sat in the shade of a palm tree and drank cold juice.

   Coconuts grow high up in the crown of the palm tree.

2. 2nouncountable

   The leaf of this tree, especially when dried and used for weaving mats, baskets, or fans.

   Grammar: Often plural (palms) when talking about the material; the singular refers to one leaf.

   Patterns

   • weave something from palm trees
   • dried palm trees

   Villagers weave baskets from dried palm trees.

   The roof was made of palm trees laid over wooden poles.

Word forms

Common combinations

a coconut palm tree

A coconut palm tree leaned over the water.

palm tree leaves

Palm tree leaves rustled in the warm wind.

line a street

Palm trees line the street in front of the hotel.

tropical palm tree

Tropical palm trees need plenty of sun and water.

under a palm tree

They had a picnic under a palm tree.

Synonyms and how they differ

palm

Shorter and more common in everyday speech; use it once the type of tree is already clear.

coconut tree

Refers specifically to the palm that produces coconuts, not to palms in general.

Word family

palmy adjective

Literary and old-fashioned; describes a place full of palm trees or, figuratively, a time of success.

Commonly confused: palm tree or palm?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “palm tree”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words