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Glite Dictionary
damask violet

damask violet

8.8
A tall garden plant with sweet smelling flowers that become stronger in the evening
  • noun
translation icon : violeta de Damasco
  • The damask violet releases a stronger fragrance as dusk falls.

Examples

  • Damask violet is often used in cottage gardens for its evening scent.

  • We planted damask violets along the walkway to enjoy their flowers in spring.

  • The damask violet blooms beautifully in the garden.

  • I planted several damask violets last spring.

  • Damask violet is often used in cottage gardens for its evening scent.

  • The damask violet releases a stronger fragrance as dusk falls.

  • We planted damask violets along the walkway to enjoy their flowers in spring.

Synonyms

sweet rocket
vsdamask violet
  • UK
1 8.9

A tall garden plant with strong sweet-smelling purple or white flowers that smell at night

is the basic cultivated European-Asian name without extra range emphasis
Hesperis matronalis
vsdamask violet
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant from Europe and Asia that grows in gardens and wild places with sweet-smelling purple or white flowers

is the common everyday name rather than the Latin botanical form
Dame's violet
vsdamask violet
9.2

A plant that lives several years with sweet flowers that smell stronger in the evening

is the botanical or formal name used instead of this common name

Surface Forms

damask violet singular
damask violets plural

Morphology

damask + violet

This is a simple attributive compound where 'damask' modifies 'violet' to indicate a particular variety or origin (literally a 'violet associated with Damascus' or a Damask-type violet). The meaning is compositional and follows a common modifier+noun pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a kind of violet rather than an idiomatic meaning.

Etymology

Damask violet may come from the name for the city of Damascus: one popular story says the sweet-smelling flowers or their scent were brought from 'Damascus', so people began to call the plant 'damask'. That's why the name joins damask, the place, and violet, the flower, and now refers to a fragrant garden plant.