living rock
- noun
- Specialized
:
roca viviente
- The living rock is prized among collectors for its unusual warty surface and beautiful flowers.
Examples
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In its native habitat, the living rock blends in so well with its surroundings that it is hard to spot.
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The living rock cactus blooms beautifully in spring.
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Botanists have studied the living rock to understand how it survives in such arid regions.
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I have a living rock in my collection.
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The living rock is prized among collectors for its unusual warty surface and beautiful flowers.
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In its native habitat, the living rock blends in so well with its surroundings that it is hard to spot.
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Botanists have studied the living rock to understand how it survives in such arid regions.
Synonyms
A small spineless cactus with warty lumps and magenta flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'living' (alive) + 'rock' (stone) yield a plausible interpretation for a B1 learner — something rock-like that is alive — so the phrase gives a partial, compositional clue. However, the established botanical sense (a specific cactus species) is a conventionalized, specialized meaning that cannot be fully predicted from the parts, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Living rock also refers to a small, bumpy cactus that hides among stones. Its flat, warty shape makes it look like a real rock, so the name shows it is a 'living' plant that looks like a rock.
