Carolina spring beauty
- noun
- /ˌkɛrəˈlinə sprɪŋ ˈbjuːti/
- US
- The delicate pink flowers of the Carolina spring beauty brighten up early spring forests.
Examples
-
We spotted a patch of Carolina spring beauty blooming along the woodland trail.
-
The Carolina spring beauty blooms in early spring.
-
Unlike its relative, the Carolina spring beauty typically has broader leaves and more vibrant petals.
-
I saw many Carolina spring beauties along the trail.
-
The delicate pink flowers of the Carolina spring beauty brighten up early spring forests.
-
We spotted a patch of Carolina spring beauty blooming along the woodland trail.
-
Unlike its relative, the Carolina spring beauty typically has broader leaves and more vibrant petals.
Synonyms
1
7.8
A small North American plant with two thick leaves, pink or white flowers, and a small edible underground bulb
A small spring wildflower with pink or white flowers that grows in eastern North American woods
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'Carolina' (a place), 'spring' (the season) and 'beauty' (something pleasing), so a learner could plausibly infer it refers to something beautiful associated with spring in Carolina — likely a flower. However, the precise lexicalized meaning (a specific small perennial plant species) is a specialized botanical name that is not fully predictable from the parts, so full comprehension requires prior exposure.
Etymology
Carolina spring beauty probably comes from a simple picture of the plant: Carolina shows the region where it grows and spring beauty describes its small, pretty flowers that open in early spring, so the name means 'a small, pretty spring flower'.