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Glite Dictionary
herb Robert

herb Robert

9.9
A low sticky plant with small pink flowers that grows across the northern half of the world
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : hierba de Roberto
  • The small reddish-purple flowers of herb Robert attract various pollinators in the garden.

Examples

  • Growing in shaded areas, herb Robert can easily cover the ground with its lush foliage.

  • It grows in the shade, and it looks delicate, but herb Robert can withstand a lot of tough weather conditions before it gives up.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • "I know about this weed called herb Robert that can cure anything that's the matter with you, and it grows in the shade and has a little pink blossom."

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Many herbalists recognize herb Robert for its traditional uses in folk medicine.

Synonyms

Geranium robertianum
vsherb Robert
  • Specialized
9.9

A low sticky plant with small reddish-purple flowers that grows in northern places

is the everyday common name used instead of the Latin form

Surface Forms

herb Robert singular
herbs Robert plural

Morphology

herb + Robert

The constituent 'herb' clearly signals that the phrase names a plant, but 'Robert' is a proper name with no descriptive content that would allow a learner to infer species, appearance, or habit. Because learners can only deduce the general category (a plant) but not the specific meaning, the expression is partially predictable but requires lexical knowledge of the name itself.

Etymology

Herb Robert may be named after a monk called Robert who used the herb as a simple 'medicine' long ago, and people began to call the plant by his name.