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Glite Dictionary
four-o'clock family

four-o'clock family

9.5
A group of flowering plants like herbs, shrubs, and vines that open in the afternoon
  • noun
  • /fɔr əˈklɒk ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las cuatro en punto
  • Members of the four-o'clock family often have brightly colored flowers that open in the afternoon.

Examples

  • The four-o'clock family contains about 30 genera of flowering plants found in tropical and subtropical regions.

  • Scientists recently discovered a new genus within the four-o'clock family.

  • The four-o'clock family includes many vibrant flowers.

  • Do you know about the four-o'clock family of plants?

  • Plants in the four-o'clock family are well-known for their colorful blooms that attract bees and butterflies.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the four-o'clock family for their ability to thrive in warm climates.

  • The four-o'clock family includes species that can grow as vines or shrubs, adding diversity to gardens.

Synonyms

Nyctaginaceae
vsfour-o'clock family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering plants that includes the four o'clock flower

is the common English name for the same family

Surface Forms

four-o'clock family singular
four-o'clock families plural

Morphology

four-o'clock + family

Although 'family' transparently signals a group, the first element 'four‑o'clock' is a lexicalized common name for a plant and is not interpretable as 'a group of flowering plants' from its literal parts ('four' + 'o'clock'). The botanical sense requires specific lexical/taxonomic knowledge rather than composition from the constituents, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably derive the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Four-o'clock family comes from a garden plant called four-o'clock whose flowers open in the late afternoon around four o'clock. So the family name was used for a group of related flowering plants, which is why it refers to many plants that open their flowers in the afternoon.