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finger-flower

finger-flower

9.9
A tall plant with large pink-purple tube flowers whose leaves are poisonous but make heart medicine
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : dedalera
  • The poisonous leaves of the finger-flower have been used to make heart medication.

Examples

  • She warned her children not to touch the finger-flower because it can be dangerous if ingested.

  • Farmers should be cautious of finger-flowers around livestock.

  • A field of finger-flowers adds a vibrant splash of color to the countryside in early summer.

  • The finger-flower blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • In my garden, the finger-flowers bloom with large pink-purple petals each spring.

  • She warned her children not to touch the finger-flower because its leaves are poisonous.

  • Farmers must keep an eye out for finger-flowers as they can be harmful to livestock.

Synonyms

fingerflower
vsfinger-flower
  • UK
9.9

A tall garden plant with large pink-purple tube-shaped flowers and leaves poisonous to animals

labels the same substance explicitly as a drug rather than a neutral compound
fingerroot
vsfinger-flower
  • UK
9.9

A tall leafy plant with large pink-purple flowers that has leaves poisonous to livestock and used for heart medicine

focuses on the leaves naturally yielding the drug rather than human use
fairy bell
vsfinger-flower
  • UK
9.9

A tall plant with clusters of large pink-purple tube-like flowers and leaves poisonous to farm animals

emphasizes that leaves yield the drug form used medically rather than merely containing it
Digitalis purpurea
vsfinger-flower
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall European plant with purple bell-shaped flowers whose leaves make a medicine for the heart and are poisonous

adds life cycle and leafiness details beyond the basic description
common foxglove
vsfinger-flower
7.8

A tall European plant with clusters of pink-purple tube flowers whose leaves make heart medicine and can poison farm animals

asserts leaves are definitely poisonous to livestock rather than sometimes risky

Surface Forms

finger-flower singular

Morphology

finger-flower = finger + flower (semi-transparent) = finger + flower

The components 'finger' + 'flower' are literal and recognizable, but the specific botanical referent and poisonous properties are not predictable from the compound alone.

Etymology

Finger-flower comes from the Latin digitus meaning 'finger', and the plant's scientific name digitalis shares the same root. Its long, tube-shaped flowers look like small fingers you could slide a finger into, so the name fits the plant's shape and reminds us that its leaves were used to make a heart medicine while also being poisonous.