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Glite Dictionary
Dianthus barbatus

Dianthus barbatus

8.5
A garden plant with flat dense clusters of small bright flowers in many colors and a sweet scent
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Dianthus barbatus
  • The vibrant blooms of Dianthus barbatus make it a popular choice in cottage gardens.

Examples

  • Many gardeners appreciate the fragrance and variety of colors found in Dianthus barbatus.

  • She planted Dianthus barbatus along the walkway to add splashes of color.

  • The Dianthus barbatus blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • Have you seen the Dianthus barbatus in the garden?

  • The vibrant blooms of Dianthus barbatus attract many butterflies to the garden.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the fragrance and variety of colors found in Dianthus barbatus.

  • She planted Dianthus barbatus along the walkway to add splashes of color.

Synonyms

sweet William
vsDianthus barbatus
1 6.7

A garden flower with dense clusters of small flat-topped flowers and a pleasant smell

is the formal scientific name used in botanical contexts and labels

Surface Forms

Dianthus barbatus singular
Dianthus barbatuses plural

Morphology

Dianthus + barbatus

This is a Latin binomial (scientific species name) functioning as a proper noun; its referent ('Sweet William' or the specific plant) is not derivable from the parts for a B1 learner, especially since 'barbatus' is not a regular English word or glossed here. Botanical Latin names are convention-based and generally non-transparent across languages, so knowing the given constituent glosses would not allow a learner to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Dianthus barbatus comes from old words: Dianthus may mean 'divine flower' and barbatus means 'bearded', because the plant often has tiny hairs near its flowers. So the name gives you the image of a pretty, almost 'divine' flower with a little 'beard', which helps you remember this garden plant.