common plantain
- noun
- /ˈkɑːmən ˈplænteɪn/
:
plátano común
- Many lawn care guides list common plantain as a persistent and troublesome weed.
Examples
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The garden was overrun by common plantain despite our efforts to remove it.
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Children often pick the broad leaves of the common plantain while playing on the lawn.
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The common plantain is often found in gardens.
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Many people consider the common plantain a weed.
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Children often pick the broad leaves of the common plantain while playing on the lawn.
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Many lawn care guides list common plantain as a persistent and troublesome weed.
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The garden was overrun by common plantain despite our efforts to remove it.
Synonyms
1
5.8
A small common weed with broad leaves and small flower spikes that grows by paths and lawns
A common plant with broad leaves that grows in lawns and gardens
A common weed with broad, round leaves that grows in lawns and roadsides
A common weed with wide leaves that grows in lawns and bare ground
A common weed with wide leaves that grows in lawns and gardens
How Common
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'common' (frequently occurring) modifies 'plantain' (the Plantago species), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer 'a widespread plantain/Plantago herb'. This adjective+noun pattern is a basic, cross-linguistically common way to name typical species, making the expression transparent.
Etymology
Common plantain The name common plantain comes from an old Latin word 'plantago' meaning the 'sole of the foot' because plantain's broad, flat leaves look like a foot and people used them to help heal cuts and sores. Common simply means it grows everywhere, so the name helps you remember this low, wide-leaved weed found in many lawns.