brittle bush
- noun
- US
:
brittlebush
- The brittle bush is known for its blue-green leaves that thrive in dry environments.
Examples
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The brittle bush's yellow flowers attract many different insects during the spring.
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Side-blotched lizards scattered from either side of the trail as I hiked upward, diving under some very ratty-looking brittle bush for cover as I passed.
Blog text (6) -
In the desert, the fragrant brittle bush releases a sweet aroma when it blooms.
Synonyms
A small bush with brittle stems and yellow flowers that smells nice and grows in deserts
A rounded desert shrub with yellow flowers and fragrant sticky sap used in folk medicine
A fragrant small bush from southwest North America whose sap is used to make incense
A group of shrubs that live in dry parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico
A group of small bushes that grow in dry parts of the United States and Mexico with bright yellow flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase denotes a type of bush characterized by brittleness; this is a straightforward adjective + noun composition where 'brittle' (liable to break) modifies 'bush' (a small woody plant). This compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Brittle bush is named for its dry, easily broken stems. Brittle shows the fragile branches and bush means a small shrub whose sticky resin people collect for incense and varnish, so the name helps you remember a 'fragrant shrub' with stems that snap and useful resin.
