downy haw
- noun
- /ˈdaʊni hɔ/
- Specialized
:
espino lanoso
- The forest was dotted with downy haws in full fruit, their red berries gleaming among the pale leaves.
Examples
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The downy haw produces bright red fruits in autumn.
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Many birds enjoy the berries of the downy haw.
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Gardeners often plant downy haw for its attractive flowers and downy stems.
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I came across a dense thicket of downy haws while hiking in Illinois.
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The forest was dotted with downy haw trees in full fruit, their red berries gleaming among the pale leaves.
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Gardeners often plant downy haw for its attractive flowers and downy stems.
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Many birds enjoy the berries of the downy haw during the autumn months.
Synonyms
A North American small tree with red berries and very hairy leaves and stems
A small American tree with red fruit and soft hairy leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward adjective+noun combination: 'downy' (covered with fine hairs) modifies 'haw' (a thorny shrub with red berries), so the meaning ‘a hawthorn with soft, woolly hairs’ is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is a regular, cross-linguistically common way to name plant features, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the MWE.
Etymology
Downy haw is the name of a hawthorn tree whose stems and leaves are covered in short, soft hairs and that bears small red fruits called 'haws'. Because downy describes the soft hairs and haw names the fruit, the name helps you remember this fuzzy, fruiting tree.
