dog hobble
- noun
- /dɔg ˈhɑbəl/
- US
:
Leucothoe
- The dog hobble is known for its beautiful white flowers.
Examples
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The hikers had to push through thick stands of dog hobble growing along the forest trail.
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Local wildlife often take shelter in the dense foliage of dog hobble shrubs.
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In spring, the dog hobble produces elegant racemes of white flowers that brighten the understory.
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In spring, the dog hobbles bloom beautifully.
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In spring, the dog hobble produces elegant racemes of white flowers that brighten the understory.
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Local wildlife often take shelter in the dense foliage of dog hobble shrubs.
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The hikers had to push through thick stands of dog hobble growing along the forest trail.
Synonyms
A fast-growing bush that keeps leaves all year with arching branches and white flowers
A fast-growing evergreen bush with arching, interlaced branches and clusters of white flowers
A quickly growing bush that stays green all year with arching crossed branches and white flower clusters
An evergreen shrub native to the southeastern United States with arching branches and groups of white flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
dog + hobble
The compound denotes a specific shrub species and there is no clear compositional link between 'dog' (an animal) and 'hobble' (to strap or impede movement) that would lead a B1 learner to infer a plant meaning. Common names for plants are often arbitrary or historical rather than semantically transparent, so the meaning is unpredictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Dog hobble is a shrub with low, tangled branches that can catch a dog's legs and make it 'hobble' or limp. That's why people called the plant dog hobble, meaning a bush that can trip or hold up dogs.
