desert willow
1
8.4
- noun
- /ˈdɛzərt ˈwɪloʊ/
- US
- Beside the winding path, the desert willow flourished, attracting pollinators with its stunning blossoms.
Examples
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In the arid landscape, the desert willow stood out with its vibrant purple flowers and graceful foliage.
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The desert willow provides shade and beauty in the dry heat of the southwestern desert.
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Earl was leaning against a desert willow, arms folded and shaking his head.
Fiction book (1993) -
Blue palo verde grew thick among the desert willow as well, its branches heavy with brown.
Blog text (6)
Synonyms
1
9.9
A small tree or shrub with trumpet-shaped flowers that grows in dry parts of the southwestern US and northern Mexico
1
9.9
A small tree with long thin leaves, purple trumpet flowers, and long seed pods that grows in dry areas
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines the known nouns 'desert' and 'willow' so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a willow-like tree that grows in arid regions. Although botanical detail ('not a true willow') may be unfamiliar, the basic referent (a tree associated with deserts) is directly and predictably derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Desert willow comes from a simple picture: the plant has long, narrow leaves and thin branches like a willow, but it grows in dry land called a desert. It is 'not a true willow', so the name helps you remember a willow-like tree that lives and blooms in dry places.