Definition

Noun: 1. A large ornamental tropical American tree: A tree species (Albizia saman, also commonly known as saman, rain tree, or monkeypod) native to tropical America, characterized by its wide, spreading canopy, bipinnate leaves, and globular clusters of flowers with prominent crimson stamens. Its seed pods are used as fodder for cattle.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The vast shade under the monkey pod in the village square made it the community's gathering spot.
  • They planted a young monkey pod for its beautiful, fern-like leaves and ornamental flowers.
  • The carpenter selected a piece of monkey pod wood, known for its rich color and grain, for the tabletop.

Advanced Usage

• As a material: The wood of the monkey pod tree is highly valued in woodworking and furniture making for its durability, workability, and attractive figuring.
  • The artisan crafted a beautiful bowl from Hawaiian monkey pod.

Variants and Related Words

• Rain tree: A common synonym for monkey pod, referring to the tree's habit of folding its leaves at night or during rain, allowing precipitation to fall through.
• Saman: Another widely used name for the same tree species ().
• Monkeypod: A common alternative spelling, often used as a single word, especially when referring to the wood.

Synonyms

• Samanea saman: The former botanical name, sometimes still used.
• Albizia saman: The current accepted botanical name.

Noun

1. large ornamental tropical American tree with bipinnate leaves and globose clusters of flowers with crimson stamens and seed pods that are eaten by cattle