Virginian witch hazel
- noun
- /vərˈdʒɪnɪən wɪtʃ ˈheɪzl/
- US
:
hamamelis de Virginia
- After the leaves have dropped, the Virginian witch hazel produces clusters of fragrant yellow blossoms.
Examples
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The Virginian witch hazel blooms in late autumn, brightening the forest with its yellow flowers.
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Gardeners often plant Virginian witch hazel for its ornamental value and resilience.
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The Virginian witch hazel blooms beautifully in late autumn.
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Many gardeners love Virginian witch hazel for its unique flowers.
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After the leaves have dropped, the Virginian witch hazel produces clusters of fragrant yellow blossoms.
-
The Virginian witch hazel blooms in late autumn, brightening the forest with its yellow flowers.
-
Gardeners often plant Virginian witch hazel for its ornamental value and resilience.
Synonyms
A shrub from eastern North America with small yellow flowers in late autumn, commonly called witch hazel
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'hazel' (a shrub) and 'Virginian' (from Virginia) can reasonably infer this refers to a type or variety of hazel from Virginia, so the core referential meaning is partly compositional. However, 'witch' in 'witch hazel' is a conventionalized element of the plant name and does not transparently convey the botanical properties, so the full lexicalized sense is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Virginian witch hazel is named for where it grows and an old belief about the plant: 'Virginian' shows it comes from Virginia, and people called it witch hazel because they used its bark and leaves as a simple medicine and thought it worked like 'magic'.
