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Glite Dictionary
common sunflower

common sunflower

1.6
A tall plant with a large yellow flower and seeds that people eat or use for oil
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːmən ˈsʌnˌfloʊər/
translation icon : girasol común
  • Farmers often grow common sunflower for its oil-rich seeds and animal feed.

Examples

  • A single common sunflower can reach over six feet tall by late summer.

  • The garden was bright with dozens of blooming common sunflower plants.

  • The common sunflower is known for its tall stature.

  • Many common sunflowers grow in the garden.

  • The common sunflower is admired for its large yellow flowers that brighten gardens in summer.

  • Farmers often cultivate common sunflowers to produce oil and provide nutritious seeds for livestock.

  • In late summer, fields of common sunflowers sway gently in the breeze, showcasing their vibrant colors.

Synonyms

sunflower
vscommon sunflower
46 1.0

A tall plant that has a large yellow flower head and seeds you can eat

is narrower and names a single species rather than the whole genus
Helianthus annuus
vscommon sunflower
  • Specialized
5.7

A tall plant with large yellow flowers that makes seeds for food and oil

is the common nontechnical term rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

common sunflower singular
common sunflowers plural

Morphology

common + sunflower

The meaning 'a sunflower that is common or typical' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'common' (typical, frequently occurring) with 'sunflower' (the plant). This simple adjective + noun composition is a productive, cross-linguistic pattern and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Common sunflower is a name from the plant's look: its big yellow flower looks like the sun and the flower head often turns to face the sun during the day. The word common shows this is the usual, widely grown type used for seeds and oil, so the name helps you remember it is the everyday 'sunflower' seen in fields.