lemon grass
1
3.0
- noun
- /ˈlɛmən ɡræs/
- UK
:
hierba de limón
- fresh lemon grass
- stalk of lemon grass
- lemon grass and ginger
Examples
-
"Today, we have beef steak with lemon grass and barbecue pork with Japanese rice."
Blog text (17) -
Our pasta tonight is a squid ravioli in a lemon grass broth.
-
In Thai cuisine, we often use lemon grass to enhance the flavors of soups and curries.
-
For a refreshing herbal tea, steep lemon grass with ginger and honey.
-
The recipe calls for lemon grass to add a unique aroma to the grilled chicken.
Synonyms
8
4.2
A tall tropical grass with a strong lemon smell and flavor used in cooking and tea
How Lemon-Scented
Surface Forms
Morphology
lemon + grass
The meaning 'a grass with a strong lemon scent' is directly and compositionally derived from 'lemon' + 'grass' (a type of grass associated with lemon). This straightforward nominal compound follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Lemon grass is called that because the grass smells strongly of lemon, so people used it like a lemon to add a fresh 'flavor' to food and tea. That's why the name explains both its scent and its common use in cooking and herbal drinks.