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Glite Dictionary
cliff brake

cliff brake

9.9
A small fern that grows on rocks or cliffs
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : pteris de acantilado
  • We found a rare cliff brake growing between the stones along the hiking trail.

Examples

  • The delicate fronds of the cliff brake make it a unique addition to shade gardens.

  • Many cliff brakes thrive in rocky environments.

  • Botanists are studying several species of cliff brake in the region to understand their adaptation to rocky environments.

  • The cliff brake is a resilient plant.

  • Botanists are studying several species of cliff brake in the region to understand their adaptation to rocky environments.

  • We found a rare cliff brake growing between the stones along the hiking trail.

  • The delicate fronds of the cliff brake make it a unique addition to shade gardens.

Synonyms

cliff-brake
vscliff brake
9.9

A small fern that grows on rocks in warm places

has identical meaning but appears as an unhyphenated modern form
rock brake
vscliff brake
9.3

A small fern that grows on rocks

is limited to tropical and warm temperate areas rather than many regions

Surface Forms

cliff brake singular
cliff brakes plural

Morphology

cliff + brake

The compound is compositional: 'cliff' indicates the location/modifier and 'brake' denotes a patch of ferns, so the phrase straightforwardly denotes ferns growing on cliffs. This follows a common noun–noun compounding pattern that a learner who knows both constituents can readily interpret.

Etymology

Cliff brake comes from an old word: brake used to mean 'fern', and cliff shows where it grows. So the name paints a picture of a small fern growing on a cliff, and today it means a little fern that lives on rocks.