gall of the earth
- noun
- Specialized
:
gall de la tierra
- The field behind our house was dotted with gall of the earth blooming in early summer.
Examples
-
I mistook the broad leaves of gall of the earth for a dandelion at first glance.
-
Botanists debated whether to classify gall of the earth under Prenanthes or a different genus.
-
Look at that beautiful gall of the earth!
-
The gall of the earth is a resilient plant.
-
The field behind our house was dotted with gall of the earth blooming in early summer.
-
I mistook the broad leaves of gall of the earth for a dandelion at first glance.
-
Botanists debated whether to classify gall of the earth under Prenanthes or a different genus.
Synonyms
A plant that lives for many years with thick leaves shaped like a lion's paw and drooping pink flowers
A perennial herb with thick leaves at the base and drooping pink flowers found in the southeastern United States
A wild plant with drooping pink or purple flowers and broad lobed leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a lexicalized plant name whose specific sense 'a perennial herb with drooping clusters of pinkish flowers' cannot be derived from the literal constituents 'gall' (an abnormal plant growth) and 'earth' (soil). Even if a B1 learner knows the parts, the phrase is a conventional name rather than a compositional description, so the meaning is not predictable from the words alone.
Etymology
Gall of the earth may come from the old word gall, meaning 'bitter', and earth because the plant grows low to the ground. People noticed its bitter sap and low growth, so the name came to mean this small herb.
