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Glite Dictionary
butterhead lettuce

butterhead lettuce

2.5
A type of lettuce with soft, tender leaves that form a loose head
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌtərˌhɛd ˈlɛtɪs/
translation icon : lechuga mantequilla
  • The salad was topped with fresh butterhead lettuce for a tender and flavorful crunch.

Examples

  • She prefers butterhead lettuce in her salads because of its tender texture.

  • We harvested several heads of butterhead lettuce from our garden this morning.

  • The butterhead lettuce wilted quickly in the summer heat if not refrigerated.

  • I bought some butterhead lettuce at the farmer's market.

  • The butterhead lettuce is very fresh today.

  • For a nutritious meal, she added slices of tomato and cucumber to the butterhead lettuce in her salad.

  • He prefers using butterhead lettuce in his sandwiches due to its soft leaves and mild taste.

Synonyms

Boston lettuce
vsbutterhead lettuce
1 2.5

A type of lettuce with soft, tender leaves often used in salads

is the broader category containing that variety and similar loose-headed types
butterhead
vsbutterhead lettuce
3.1

A lettuce with soft round leaves and a mild buttery taste

is the full name that highlights a loose head and easily bruised leaves

How Tender

butterhead lettuce
2.5
Bibb lettuce
  • US
1 4.2
leaf lettuce
1 2.3

Surface Forms

butterhead lettuce singular
butterhead lettuces plural

Morphology

butterhead + lettuce

The phrase is transparently compositional: 'butterhead' (a named variety characterized by soft, tender leaves) combined with 'lettuce' clearly denotes that type of lettuce. This follows normal English noun-modifier patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings.

Etymology

Butterhead lettuce may come from the image of its very soft, buttery leaves that look like butter and fold into a loose round head. That's why the name means a lettuce with very 'tender' leaves that bruise or break easily.