featherfoil

9.9

A water plant with thin feathery leaves that grows in ponds and streams

noun

: planta de pluma

The featherfoil plant has delicate, feathery leaves that float elegantly on the water's surface.

Examples

Red-bronze blossoms of copper iris stand above rings of small white flowers borne by featherfoil, a jointed, fleshy-stemmed plant.

Academic text (2009)
In the pond, the featherfoil displays its intricate, divided leaves, creating a beautiful sight for visitors.
During spring, the lush growth of featherfoil adds vibrant greenery to the landscape of the marsh.

Synonyms

Hottonia palustris

vsfeatherfoil

9.9

A water plant with feathery underwater leaves and violet flowers

is the common English name rather than the scientific species name

feather-foil

vsfeatherfoil

9.9

A small water plant with thin leaves that look like feathers

is the same name written without a hyphen in common usage

water violet

vsfeatherfoil

9.1

A plant that grows in shallow water with leaves below and on the surface and violet flowers

emphasizes finely divided feathery leaves rather than floating leaves

Hottonia

vsfeatherfoil

Specialized

9.9

A small water plant with delicate flowers that grows in ponds and lakes

refers to a single Eurasian species rather than the whole genus

Compounds

American featherfoil

Specialized

9.9

A water plant that grows in ponds with white flowers and spongy swollen stalks

Surface Forms

featherfoil singular

featherfoils plural

Morphology

featherfoil = feather + foil (semi-transparent) = feather + foil

The element 'feather' is obvious, but 'foil' meaning 'leaf' is a specialized botanical usage not familiar to many learners, so the compound's meaning is inferable but not fully transparent.

Etymology

Featherfoil joins feather and foil and was named for the plant's many thin, 'feather-like' leaves that float in water, so the name points to its feathery, divided leaves.