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Glite Dictionary
hound's-tongue

hound's-tongue

9.9
A plant with rough tongue-shaped leaves and blue or purple flowers
  • noun
  • /ˈhaʊndzˌtʌŋ/
translation icon : lengua de perro
  • During the walk, we spotted a patch of hound's-tongue along the trail, adding color to the landscape.

Examples

  • Her fashion statement for the day featured a very large-scale black-and-yellow hound's-tooth check on linen with a Peter Pan collar.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • In the meadow, the hound's-tongue plants bloomed with beautiful purple flowers.

  • The gardener admired the hound's-tongue for its coarse leaves and striking color.

Synonyms

Cynoglossum officinale
vshound's-tongue
  • Specialized
9.9

A two-year plant with rough leaves shaped like a tongue and dark reddish-purple flowers

is a more general plant found in various regions with blue, purple, or reddish flowers
Cynoglossum
vshound's-tongue
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of tall, rough plants often called hound's-tongue

is a single plant type rather than an entire genus

Surface Forms

hound's-tongue singular
hound's-tongues plural

Morphology

hound's-tongue = hound + tongue (semi-transparent) = hound + tongue

The components 'hound' + 'tongue' are clearly identifiable and the name is a metaphor for tongue-shaped leaves, but the specific reference to a plant species is not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Hound's-tongue paints a simple picture: hound means 'dog' and tongue means 'tongue', because the plant's long, rough leaves look like a dog's tongue, so the name helps you remember a plant with tongue-shaped leaves and small blue or purple flowers.