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Glite Dictionary
English-weed

English-weed

9.9
A small bulb plant with bright yellow flowers that often grows as a garden weed in South Africa
  • noun
  • South African
translation icon : trébol inglés
  • The bright yellow flowers of English-weed brighten the landscape during spring.

Examples

  • Some gardeners try to remove English-weed because it spreads quickly among other plants.

  • The garden was overrun with English-weed this spring.

  • English-weed is commonly found growing in gardens throughout South Africa.

  • Have you ever seen an English-weed bloom?

  • English-weed is often considered a nuisance in gardens because of its rapid growth.

  • Gardeners frequently complain about English-weed taking over their flower beds.

  • English-weed thrives in sunny spots, making it a common sight in many South African gardens.

Synonyms

Oxalis pes-caprae
vsEnglish-weed
  • Specialized
9.9

A bulb plant with clover-like leaves and bright yellow flowers that spreads like a weed

is typically found as a weed in gardens rather than wild Mediterranean habitats
Bermuda buttercup
vsEnglish-weed
  • South African
8.6

A bulb plant with bright yellow flowers grown in gardens and sometimes a weed

is mainly regarded as a garden weed rather than a cultivated ornamental

Surface Forms

English-weed singular
English-weeds plural

Morphology

English-weed = English + weed (semi-transparent) = English + weed

The compound clearly signals a type of 'weed' associated with 'English', but the specific species and attributes (a South African bulbous wood sorrel) are lexicalized and not predictable from the components alone.

Etymology

English-weed likely combines English ('from England') and weed ('a wild plant you do not want in your garden'). A helpful way to remember the name is to picture a bright yellow plant that came with or reminded people of English gardens and that spreads quickly, so people call it a garden 'weed' in South Africa.