belle de nuit
- noun
- /bɛl də nwi/
:
belle de nuit
- The belle de nuit is admired for its beautiful white blossoms that only open after sunset.
Examples
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In tropical regions, the belle de nuit climbs along fences and trellises, creating a striking nighttime display.
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Gardeners often plant belle de nuit near patios to enjoy their sweet fragrance in the evening.
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The belle de nuit blooms beautifully at dusk.
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Have you seen the belle de nuit in the garden?
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Gardeners often plant belle de nuit near patios to enjoy their sweet fragrance in the evening.
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In tropical regions, the belle de nuit climbs along fences and trellises, creating a striking nighttime display.
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The belle de nuit is admired for its beautiful white blossoms that only open after sunset.
Synonyms
2
7.3
A climbing plant that makes large white flowers that open at night and smell sweet
A tropical climbing plant with large white fragrant flowers that open at night
Surface Forms
Morphology
belle + de + nuit
Although the constituents are French rather than English, their meanings ('belle' = beautiful, 'de' = of, 'nuit' = night) combine transparently to 'beauty/beautiful of the night' which naturally describes a night-blooming plant. Therefore a learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer the MWE's meaning; the form follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns for nocturnal flowers.
Etymology
Belle de nuit comes from French words belle and nuit, meaning 'beautiful' and 'night'. Its white, sweet-smelling flowers open after sunset and look like a beauty in the dark, so the name came to mean this climbing plant.