cat's foot

9.7

A low plant with silvery leaves and small white flowers that forms a soft ground cover

noun

: pata de gato

The meadows were dotted with cat's foot blooming among the grasses.

Examples

Gardeners often plant cat's foot to add a soft ground cover.
I recognized the silvery foliage of cat's foot during my nature walk.
The garden is filled with cat's foot in early spring.
I found some cat's feet growing near the path.
Gardeners often plant cat's foot to add a soft ground cover.
The meadows were dotted with cat's foot blooming among the grasses.
I recognized the silvery foliage of cat's foot during my nature walk.

Synonyms

pussytoes

vscat's foot

Specialized

1 9.9

A small low plant with soft hairy leaves and tiny white or pink flowers

focuses on white flowers and temperate growth rather than genus variety

cat's feet

vscat's foot

9.9

A low plant with leaves covered in fine white hairs and small white flower clusters

is the singular form used for the same plant name

Antennaria dioica

vscat's foot

Specialized

9.9

A low plant with soft silvery leaves and small white flower clusters

is the plain botanical description without listing alternative names

Surface Forms

cat's foot singular

cat's feet plural

Morphology

cat's + foot

The phrase evokes a resemblance to a cat's foot, so a learner who knows 'cat' and 'foot' can infer a figurative or naming relation (something shaped or resembling a cat's foot). However, the specific botanical meaning — that it is a low-growing perennial herb with whitish down and small white flowers — is not predictable from the constituents alone. Because the form suggests a metaphorical basis but does not yield the precise referent, it is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Cat's foot may come from the plant's look: its soft, silvery leaves and small white flowers make low, round patches that look like a little cat foot. That's why the name now means 'a low-growing plant used as ground cover'.