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Glite Dictionary
looking-glass plant

looking-glass plant

9.9
A small coastal tropical tree with silvery undersides on its leaves
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : planta espejo
  • The leaves of the looking-glass plant shimmer in the sunlight, giving the tree its name.

Examples

  • Gardeners value the looking-glass plant for its attractive, silver-backed leaves.

  • The looking-glass plant thrives in the salty air of tropical coastlines.

  • The looking-glass plant thrives in tropical climates.

  • I saw a looking-glass plant in the botanical garden.

  • Gardeners value the looking-glass plant for its attractive, silver-backed leaves.

  • The looking-glass plant thrives in the salty air of tropical coastlines.

  • The leaves of the looking-glass plant shimmer in the sunlight, giving the tree its name.

Synonyms

Heritiera littoralis
vslooking-glass plant
  • Specialized
9.9

A small tree that grows on tropical coasts and has silvery undersides on its leaves

is the common name for the same species rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

looking-glass plant singular
looking-glass plants plural

Morphology

looking-glass + plant

The noun is compositionally transparent: 'looking-glass' (mirror) modifies 'plant', so a learner can infer a plant with mirror-like or silvery surfaces (i.e., silvery leaf undersides). This follows ordinary adjective+noun composition and is the kind of meaning a B1 learner who knows both constituents could reasonably deduce.

Etymology

Looking-glass plant comes from the shiny, silver underside of its leaves. Those silver leaf backs shine like a small looking-glass or 'mirror' in the sun, so the name points to the plant's mirror-like look.