Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
felt fern

felt fern

9.5
A green plant from East Asia with soft leaves shaped like tongues
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : helecho fieltro
  • Botanists sometimes debate whether the felt fern should be placed in the genus Cyclophorus.

Examples

  • In its native habitat, the felt fern grows on mossy rocks and shaded forest floors.

  • The unique appearance of the felt fern makes it popular among indoor plant enthusiasts.

  • The felt fern is a unique plant.

  • I love the texture of the felt fern leaves.

  • In its native habitat, the felt fern grows on mossy rocks and shaded forest floors.

  • The unique appearance of the felt fern makes it popular among indoor plant enthusiasts.

  • Botanists sometimes debate whether the felt fern should be placed in the genus Cyclophorus.

Synonyms

Pyrrosia lingua
vsfelt fern
  • Specialized
9.9

A fern from East Asia with long tongue-shaped leaves often grown as a houseplant

has identical meaning but appears as a nontechnical common name
Cyclophorus lingua
vsfelt fern
  • Specialized
9.9

A fern from East Asia with leaves shaped like tongues

has the same meaning but is presented as a common label
tongue fern
vsfelt fern
  • Specialized
9.9

A fern with long flat leaves that look like tongues

has identical sense but differs by being a different common name

Surface Forms

felt fern singular
felt ferns plural

Morphology

felt + fern

The compound is compositional: a B1 learner who knows 'felt' and 'fern' will likely infer it names a fern with a felt-like texture or appearance because the first element modifies the second. However, the specific botanical sense (fronds shaped like tongues and taxonomic nuance) is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents, so the exact meaning would require prior exposure.

Etymology

Felt fern gets its name from the soft, fuzzy surface of its leaves. People thought the leaves felt like felt, so the name now means 'a fern with a soft, woolly texture'.