darling pea
- noun
- Australian
:
guisante darling
- Farmers in Australia are cautious of the darling pea, as it can be toxic to livestock.
Examples
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The striking flowers of the darling pea often conceal its dangerous effects on animals.
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The darling pea is toxic to sheep.
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After the sheep grazed on darling pea, several of them became ill.
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Farmers need to be cautious of darling peas in their fields.
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After the sheep grazed on darling pea, several of them became ill.
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Farmers in Australia are cautious of the darling pea, as it can be toxic to livestock.
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The striking flowers of the darling pea often conceal its dangerous effects on animals.
Synonyms
A group of Australian plants in the pea family with bright flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
darling + pea
The compound clearly signals a type of pea — a B1 learner who knows 'darling' and 'pea' will infer it names a kind of pea, so the basic compositional relationship is accessible. However, the specific sense (a particular Australian species that is poisonous to sheep) cannot be deduced from 'darling' and is language-/culture-specific, so the full meaning is not predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun darling pea may come from the plant's bright, showy flowers that made people think of a pretty darling and a small pea. One popular story says the pretty look hides danger because the plant is 'poisonous' to sheep, so the name reminds farmers to be careful.
