hoary plantain
- noun
:
plátano canoso
- The leaves of the hoary plantain are covered in distinctive soft hairs.
Examples
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Many gardeners appreciate the resilience of hoary plantain in wildflower meadows.
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During the summer, you can often spot hoary plantain growing along the roadside.
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Look at that hoary plantain over there!
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I saw a hoary plantain in the garden.
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During the summer, you can often spot hoary plantain growing along the roadside.
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Many gardeners appreciate the resilience of hoary plantain in wildflower meadows.
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The leaves of the hoary plantain are covered in distinctive soft hairs.
Synonyms
1
5.8
A small common weed with broad leaves and small flower spikes that grows by paths and lawns
A small North American wild plant with long soft hairs on the leaves
A plant that lives for several years with hairy leaves and small fragrant white flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjectival modification: 'hoary' (covered with fine whitish hairs) directly describes the noun 'plantain', so the meaning 'a plantain with hairy/whitish leaves' is transparently derived from its parts. This follows a common Adj+N compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand it.
Etymology
Hoary plantain gets its name from hoary, which means 'white or grey with soft hairs', and plantain, the common name for this kind of plant. The leaves are covered in fine pale hairs, so the name gives a clear picture and explains why it means 'a plant with hairy leaves'.