European dogtooth
- noun
- UK
:
violeta de perro europea
- The European dogtooth is prized by gardeners for its delicate mauve blooms in early spring.
Examples
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Several varieties of European dogtooth are grown for ornamental purposes in shaded gardens.
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When in full flower, the European dogtooth attracts bees and other pollinators.
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The European dogtooth blooms beautifully in spring.
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Many gardeners love the European dogtooth for its vibrant colors.
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Several varieties of European dogtooth are grown for ornamental purposes in shaded gardens.
-
The European dogtooth is prized by gardeners for its delicate mauve blooms in early spring.
-
When in full flower, the European dogtooth attracts bees and other pollinators.
Synonyms
1
9.3
A small woodland plant with early spring flowers and broad leaves
1
9.7
A small woodland plant that flowers in spring with nodding colorful blooms
A small plant that grows in woods and makes pretty spring flowers and is grown in gardens
A small spring plant with pink to purple flowers often grown in gardens
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'European' indicates origin/region and 'dogtooth' names a specific bulbous plant, so together they denote the dogtooth plant from Europe or a European variety. This follows a common, cross-linguistic compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
European dogtooth may come from its small underground bulb, which looks like a dog's tooth. Because of that tooth-like bulb, people used the name for this little spring flower, so the name now means this European plant.