Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
meadow fern

meadow fern

8.1
A plant with divided leaves that grows in meadows and open woods in eastern North America
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : helecho de pradera
  • The meadow fern thrives in moist, shaded areas.

Examples

  • We spotted several meadow ferns growing along the hiking trail.

  • The meadow fern flourishes in the damp fields of the Adirondack region.

  • Botanists often study the meadow fern to learn more about native plant species.

  • Have you seen the meadow fern near the river?

  • The meadow fern thrives in moist, shaded areas of the forest.

  • We spotted several meadow ferns growing along the hiking trail.

  • The meadow fern flourishes in the damp fields of the Adirondack region.

Surface Forms

meadow fern singular
meadow ferns plural

Morphology

meadow + fern

The phrase is a simple noun–noun compound whose meaning (a fern that grows in or is associated with meadows) is directly and transparently derived from 'meadow' and 'fern.' This compositional pattern is common across languages and in English species/place naming, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Meadow fern comes from the simple image of a fern growing in a meadow, an open grassy field. So it means 'a kind of fern found in meadows and open woods'.