broad-leaved centaury

9.9

A wild flowering plant with broad leaves and small flowers

noun

: centáurea de hojas anchas

Thanks to its distinctive foliage, the broad-leaved centaury is easy to spot among other wildflowers.

Examples

The broad-leaved centaury can often be found in meadows and grasslands across Europe.
Botanists conducted a survey to record the distribution of broad-leaved centaury in the region.
The broad-leaved centaury is often found in moist meadows.
Many gardeners appreciate the broad-leaved centaury for its beauty.
Botanists conducted a survey to record the distribution of broad-leaved centaury in the region.
Thanks to its distinctive foliage, the broad-leaved centaury is easy to spot among other wildflowers.
The broad-leaved centaury can often be found in meadows and grasslands across Europe.

Surface Forms

broad-leaved centaury singular

broad-leaved centauries plural

Morphology

broad-leaved + centaury

The phrase denotes a centaury plant that has broad leaves, which is directly derivable from 'broad-leaved' (having broad leaves) + 'centaury' (a small plant). 'Broad-leaved' is a productive descriptive adjective and the construction follows a straightforward adjective + noun pattern familiar to learners, so its meaning is immediately accessible to someone who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Broad-leaved centaury is a very direct plant name: broad-leaved means it has wide leaves and centaury is a small wildflower. So imagine a little wildflower with broad, fan-like leaves — that's why the name means 'a type of centaury with wide leaves'.