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Glite Dictionary
clammy chickweed

clammy chickweed

9.4
A small wild plant with sticky, slightly wet leaves that grows in shady, wet places
  • noun
translation icon : hierba pegajosa
  • The leaves of the clammy chickweed often feel sticky to the touch.

Examples

  • Hikers may encounter patches of clammy chickweed growing in moist, shady areas.

  • Many gardeners consider clammy chickweed a nuisance.

  • Gardeners sometimes mistake clammy chickweed for the more common chickweed species.

  • The garden was full of clammy chickweed during spring.

  • Hikers may encounter patches of clammy chickweed growing in moist, shady areas.

  • The leaves of the clammy chickweed often feel sticky to the touch.

  • Many gardeners consider clammy chickweed a nuisance in their vegetable patches.

Synonyms

clammyweed
vsclammy chickweed
  • US
9.9

A plant with sticky, hairy leaves and a strong smell

is a broader common name for several related plants rather than one species

Surface Forms

clammy chickweed singular
clammy chickweeds plural

Morphology

clammy + chickweed

This is a straightforward adjective + noun compound: its meaning (a chickweed plant that is clammy/sticky) is directly derivable from 'clammy' (sticky, cool) and 'chickweed' (a low-growing weed). Such descriptive compounds follow ordinary English composition patterns and are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Clammy chickweed gets its name from the feel of the plant: the small chickweed leaves are often 'wet' or 'sticky', so they feel clammy when you touch them. That's why the name is used for chickweed plants with moist, sticky leaves.