bear's breech
- noun
- /ˈbɛrz brich/
:
acanto
- Many landscapers choose bear's breech for its ornamental value and ability to thrive in hot, dry climates.
Examples
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The garden was stunning, especially with the vibrant bear's breech showcasing its large, deeply lobed leaves.
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This golden bear's-breech, also called bear's breeches and sometimes sold as 'Fielding Gold', is initially a slow grower, but eventually it will produce a marvelous clump of glossy chartreuse foliage.
Blog text (6) -
In the summer, bear's breech produces beautiful spikes of whitish-purple-veined flowers that attract many pollinators.
Synonyms
A plant that lives for many years with large lobed leaves and tall spikes of white flowers with purple lines
A garden plant with large shiny leaves and tall white flowers with purple lines
How Ornamental
Surface Forms
Morphology
bear's + breech
This is a lexicalized plant name whose meaning ('a perennial ornamental plant, Acanthus mollis') cannot be derived from the literal words 'bear' and 'breech'. Any historical or folk association between the animal and the word 'breech' is not compositional or predictable for a B1 learner, so the expression is idiomatic/lexicalized and opaque.
Etymology
Bear's breech may get its name from its large, folded leaves that look like a bear's rounded rear, so the parts bear and breech create the image of a bear's 'breeches' or pants. That's why the name now points to this plant with big, showy leaves.