Japanese clover
- noun
- /ˈdʒæpəˌniːz ˈkloʊvər/
- US
:
trébol japonés
- Gardeners often plant Japanese clover to improve soil quality and prevent erosion.
Examples
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The field was covered with Japanese clover, providing excellent forage for cattle.
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After being introduced, Japanese clover spread rapidly across the southern United States.
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The Japanese clover grows well in warm climates.
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Farmers often plant Japanese clover for its benefits.
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Gardeners often plant Japanese clover to improve soil quality and prevent erosion.
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The field was covered with Japanese clover, providing excellent forage for cattle.
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After being introduced, Japanese clover spread rapidly across the southern United States.
Synonyms
A small annual plant from Asia that people grow to cover soil and feed farm animals
A low plant from Asia often grown to feed farm animals and cover soil
A low plant farmers grow to feed animals and cover the ground
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward nationality + noun composition: a B1 learner who knows 'Japanese' and 'clover' will infer it denotes a clover (or clover-like) plant associated with Japan. Even if the precise botanical species or whether it is a true clover is unfamiliar, the referential meaning is compositionally transparent and follows a common cross-linguistic pattern.
Etymology
The plant name Japanese clover comes from a simple picture: Japanese shows the plant's origin in Japan or East Asia, and clover shows that its leaves look like true clover. So today Japanese clover means 'a clover-like plant from Japan used to cover soil or feed animals'.
