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Glite Dictionary
Mimosa sensitiva

Mimosa sensitiva

9.9
A prickly bush from tropical America whose leaves fold when touched or in bright light
  • noun
  • /mɪˈmoʊsə sɛnˈsɪtɪvə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Mimosa sensitiva
  • We grew a Mimosa sensitiva in the greenhouse to observe its unique sensitivity to light and touch.

Examples

  • The Mimosa sensitiva is often called the sensitive plant.

  • Have you seen a Mimosa sensitiva in the garden?

  • Botanists in South America study the Mimosa sensitiva to understand plant movement in response to stimuli.

  • The leaves of the Mimosa sensitiva quickly fold up when touched, fascinating both children and scientists.

  • The leaves of the Mimosa sensitiva quickly fold up when touched, fascinating both children and scientists.

  • We grew a Mimosa sensitiva in the greenhouse to observe its unique sensitivity to light and touch.

  • Botanists in South America study the Mimosa sensitiva to understand plant movement in response to stimuli.

Synonyms

Mimosa pudica
vsMimosa sensitiva
  • Specialized
9.1

A small tropical plant with leaves that quickly fold and droop when touched or at night

is a semi-climbing prickly evergreen shrub from tropical America folding from touch or light

Surface Forms

Mimosa sensitiva singular
Mimosa sensitivitas plural

Morphology

Mimosa + sensitiva

This binomial name is transparently compositional: 'Mimosa' denotes the plant genus and 'sensitiva' corresponds to 'sensitive' (i.e., responsive to touch/light), so the meaning 'sensitive mimosa' is directly derivable from the parts. Although 'sensitiva' is Latin and the phrase is a technical botanical name, the semantic relation is regular and cross-linguistically recognizable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Mimosa sensitiva comes from the two parts Mimosa and sensitiva, and it means the plant's leaves fold up quickly when you touch them or when the light changes. So the name points to the plant being 'sensitive' and explains why we use it for a shrub that reacts to touch and light.