Spanish pine

Meanings

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A pine tree of the western Mediterranean, especially the Aleppo pine, often planted for its resin and shade.

   Grammar: Countable: one tree is a Spanish pine, several are Spanish pines; the wood is just pine.

   Patterns

   • a Spanish pine tree
   • groves of Spanish pine

   The hills behind the town are covered with Spanish pine.

   Farmers once tapped Spanish pines for resin.

   A row of Spanish pines shaded the road into the village.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   The pale, resinous wood of this tree, used for building and for making paper.

   Grammar: No plural and no article when you mean the material: made of Spanish pine.

   Patterns

   • made of Spanish pine
   • Spanish pine furniture

   The shelves are made of Spanish pine.

   Spanish pine is light and easy to work with.

Word forms

Common combinations

a stand of Spanish pine

A stand of Spanish pine had survived the fire.

Spanish pine forest

We walked through a Spanish pine forest.

plant a Spanish pine

They planted a Spanish pine near the gate.

Spanish pine resin

Spanish pine resin was collected in clay pots.

Synonyms and how they differ

Aleppo pine

The precise botanical name for the most common tree called Spanish pine; use it in scientific writing.

pine

The general word for any tree of this group; use it when the exact species does not matter.

Word family

pine noun

The general family of evergreen cone-bearing trees.

pinewood noun

A forest of pine trees, or the wood from them.

Commonly confused: Spanish pine or Scots pine?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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