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Glite Dictionary
Lactuca sativa capitata

Lactuca sativa capitata

9.7
A round lettuce with leaves packed tightly to form a firm head
  • noun
  • /lækˈtuːkə ˈseɪvɪtə ˌkæpɪˈteɪtə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lechuga de cabeza
  • Many gardeners prefer to grow Lactuca sativa capitata for its compact, easy-to-harvest heads.

Examples

  • The crisp texture of Lactuca sativa capitata makes it a favorite in salads.

  • Supermarkets often stock several varieties of Lactuca sativa capitata throughout the year.

  • The chef used fresh Lactuca sativa capitata in the salad.

  • I bought some Lactuca sativa capitata from the farmer's market.

  • Many gardeners prefer to grow Lactuca sativa capitata for its compact, easy-to-harvest heads.

  • The crisp texture of Lactuca sativa capitata makes it a favorite in salads.

  • I bought some Lactuca sativa capitata from the farmer's market.

Synonyms

head lettuce
vsLactuca sativa capitata
3.1

A lettuce with leaves packed into a round ball like iceberg

is a cultivated specific variety showing the same dense rosette form

Surface Forms

Lactuca sativa capitata singular
Lactuca sativa capitatas plural

Morphology

Lactuca + sativa + capitata

This is a scientific Latin binomial + epithet rather than a normal English phrase; while a learner who knows 'Lactuca' and 'sativa' might infer it refers to a cultivated lettuce, the crucial sense 'capitata' (head-forming) is not given and uses Latin morphology unfamiliar to B1 learners. Because the overall specialised meaning (‘compact-headed lettuce’) is technical and not predictably derivable from the listed constituents for an average B1 learner, it is not transparently compositional.

Etymology

Lactuca sativa capitata comes from Latin words. The parts lactuca ('milk') refers to the white juice the plant makes, sativa ('grown') shows it is a cultivated plant, and capitata ('head') points to the tight round head of leaves, so the name describes a grown lettuce with a compact head.