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Glite Dictionary
laurel sumac

laurel sumac

9.9
A small evergreen bush from California with scented leaves and whitish berries
  • noun
  • /ˈlɔːrəl ˈsuːmæk/
  • US
translation icon : sumaque lauráceo
  • Flocks of birds find shelter among the laurel sumac, taking refuge from the hot sun.

Examples

  • The laurel sumac is often found in coastal areas of California, thriving in dry conditions.

  • Likewise, for people, crawl under the low laurel sumac bushes and it's a natural tent.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Often, the first signs of life on a blackened hill are the shoots of laurel sumac pushing through the sooty skeletons of their former bodies.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • In the spring, the laurel sumac produces small whitish berries that attract various wildlife.

Synonyms

Malosma laurina
vslaurel sumac
  • Specialized
9.9

A green bushy plant from California with strong-smelling leaves and small pale berries

is the common name used instead of the scientific label
Rhus laurina
vslaurel sumac
  • Specialized
9.9

A small evergreen shrub from California with fragrant leaves and whitish berries

treats the plant as the common name not the botanical placement

Surface Forms

laurel sumac singular
laurel sumacs plural

Morphology

laurel + sumac

This is a compositional botanical compound where the overall meaning (a type of sumac associated with laurel-like features) is directly inferable from 'laurel' + 'sumac'. It is referential rather than idiomatic and follows common noun–noun naming patterns found across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Laurel sumac comes from how the plant looks: its leaves are like a laurel, and it is a kind of sumac. So the name points to a sumac with laurel-like leaves and helps you picture this small evergreen shrub.