cinquefoil
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl/
- Specialized
- shrubby cinquefoil
- dwarf cinquefoil
- marsh cinquefoil
Examples
-
Blue Missouri iris contrasts with yellow-flowered cinquefoil and buttercup.
Academic text (1992) -
Bogbean, cinnamon fern, marsh cinquefoil, purple pitcher plant, round-leaved sundew, and several sedges cover most of the surface of the bog.
Academic text (2011) -
Others are highland rush, mountain sandwort, three-toothed cinquefoil, and northern mountain cranberry, all known from barren mountaintops near the Dixville Notch and on several summits in the Presidential Range.
Academic text (2011) -
The bright yellow flowers of the cinquefoil attract many pollinators in the garden.
-
During our hike, we spotted a lovely patch of cinquefoil growing near the stream.
-
In springtime, the cinquefoil blossoms create a beautiful contrast against the green foliage.
Synonyms
1
8.1
A plant with a five-petaled flower that people use in home herbal remedies
1
9.8
A group of long-lived small plants or low bushes in the rose family, often with yellow flowers
How Common
Surface Forms
Morphology
cinquefoil = cinque + foil (opaque) = cinque + foil
Although historically 'cinque' = five and 'foil' = leaf, both elements are unfamiliar to an average B1 learner, so the compound's meaning is not readily derivable.
Etymology
Cinquefoil comes from two parts: cinque- meaning 'five', like Spanish cinco, and -foil from a root meaning 'leaf', as in foliage. So a cinquefoil is literally a 'five-leaf' plant, which is why many have five petals or leaflets.