California sagebrush
- noun
- /ˌkælɪˈfɔrnjə ˈseɪdʒˌbrʌʃ/
- US
:
salvia arbustiva de California
- The California sagebrush thrives in dry, rocky soil.
Examples
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The trail was lined with California sagebrush, its scent strong in the dry summer air.
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Gardeners in coastal areas often plant California sagebrush for its drought tolerance.
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Hikers sometimes rub the leaves of California sagebrush between their fingers to release its distinctive fragrance.
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I saw a beautiful California sagebrush by the trail.
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California sagebrush is often seen thriving in the coastal chaparral regions of California.
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The landscape was dotted with California sagebrush, creating a distinctive ashy-grey appearance.
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In the dry areas of California, the hardy sagebrush can withstand extreme heat and drought.
Synonyms
8
7.7
A woody bush with grey leaves and a strong smell that grows in dry areas
A low grey shrub from California with scented leaves
A low shrub with grey, silvery leaves that grows on dry coastal hills in California
A low bush with pale grey leaves that gives animals shelter and food
A low, many-branched plant with silvery leaves that shelters wildlife
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: a B1 learner who knows 'California' and 'sagebrush' can infer this refers to a sagebrush associated with California (a low, ashy-grey shrub native to that region). This place-name + noun formation is a transparent, cross-linguistically common pattern with no idiomatic or metaphorical shift.
Etymology
California sagebrush probably gets its name from being a low, gray bush that gives a strong 'sage-like' smell and from growing in California. So the word sagebrush means a bush that smells like sage and California tells you where it is found, which helps you remember it is a fragrant shrub in that region.