European bird cherry
- noun
- UK
:
cerezo de pájaro europeo
- The European bird cherry produces fragrant white blooms in late spring.
Examples
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Gardeners sometimes plant the European bird cherry for its decorative flowers and fruit.
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The bark of the European bird cherry was traditionally used in herbal medicine.
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The European bird cherry blooms beautifully in spring.
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I saw a European bird cherry in the park yesterday.
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The European bird cherry is known for its clusters of white flowers that attract bees in the spring.
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In summer, the small black fruits of the European bird cherry can be seen hanging from the branches.
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Many people appreciate the beauty of the European bird cherry tree when it is in full bloom.
Synonyms
A small European tree with clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers and small bitter black cherries
A small European tree with clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers and black fruit eaten by birds
A small European cherry tree with clusters of dark berries
A small wild tree with dark cherries that birds eat
A small cherry tree with small berries that birds eat
A small wild cherry tree with red or black fruit that birds often eat
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'cherry' names the plant, modified by 'bird' (forming the species-type compound 'bird cherry') and further specified by 'European' as the regional variety. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer it denotes a European species of cherry tree.
Etymology
European bird cherry gets its name from the small tree's dark cherries that wild birds often ate, so people called the tree after that sight. That's why the name now means a small cherry tree with white flowers and dark berries.
