grassy death camas
- noun
- /ˈɡræs.i dɛθ ˈkæ.məs/
- Specialized
:
camas de muerte herbácea
- Veterinarians warn that ingestion of grassy death camas can be fatal for cattle.
Examples
-
The fields in early summer were dotted with the pale flowers of grassy death camas.
-
Ranchers must be careful, as grassy death camas is extremely toxic to livestock.
-
The grassy death camas can be found in many meadows.
-
Cattle should avoid grassy death camas at all costs.
-
Ranchers must be careful, as grassy death camas is extremely toxic to livestock.
-
Veterinarians warn that ingestion of grassy death camas can be fatal for cattle.
-
Cattle should avoid grassy death camas at all costs.
Synonyms
Poisonous wildflower from western North America that can make animals that eat grass very sick
A poisonous plant of western North America and Mexico that kills animals that eat grass
A plant with leaves like grass and small white flowers that is poisonous
A poisonous plant from western North America with long thin leaves and pale greenish-white flowers
A North American plant with grass-like leaves and white poisonous flowers
A group of poisonous plants called death camas that grow mostly in North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
Each element contributes transparently: 'camas' is a plant, 'death' marks it as deadly/poisonous, and 'grassy' describes grass-like leaves. A B1 learner who knows these words can reliably infer this refers to a poisonous plant with grass-like foliage, so the meaning is compositional and readily predictable.
Etymology
Grassy death camas got its name from a clear, sad picture: early farmers and ranchers saw animals eat the grass-like plant and 'die', so they called it death camas. The word grassy shows its grass-like leaves, and that is why the name now means 'poisonous' and dangerous to animals that eat the grass.
