great knapweed
- noun
- UK
:
centaurea escabiosa
- Gardeners often plant great knapweed to attract butterflies and bees.
Examples
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During summer, the striking purple blooms of great knapweed brighten the countryside.
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The meadow was dotted with patches of great knapweed among the tall grasses.
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The great knapweed blooms in late summer.
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Many gardeners appreciate the beauty of great knapweed.
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During summer, the striking purple blooms of great knapweed brighten the countryside.
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Gardeners often plant great knapweed to attract butterflies and bees.
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The meadow was dotted with patches of great knapweed among the tall grasses.
Synonyms
A tall plant from Europe with purple flower heads that lives for several years
A tall plant with purple, thistle-like flowers that grows in meadows
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'great' (large/notable) modifies 'knapweed' (a flowering plant), so the meaning 'a large/tall knapweed' is directly derivable from the constituents. This follows normal adjectival modification patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Great knapweed may come from an old word for a small hill or 'knob', because its purple flower heads look like round buttons and that is the knap. The word weed just means a wild plant and great shows it is the larger kind, so the name helps you picture a tall plant with big round flowers.
