meadow saffron
- noun
- UK
:
crocus de otoño
- The meadow saffron blooms beautifully in the fall.
Examples
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Clusters of meadow saffron appeared in the field, signaling the end of summer.
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In the wild, meadow saffron often carpets damp meadows with its striking purple blooms in autumn.
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Gardeners should be cautious when planting meadow saffron, as all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested.
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I saw a meadow saffron in the garden yesterday.
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In the garden, the meadow saffron bloomed beautifully with its purple flowers during the autumn months.
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The meadow saffron adds a lovely touch of color to the landscape as it flowers when most other plants are fading.
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We planted meadow saffron bulbs last spring, and now we are excited to see their white and lavender blooms in the fall.
Synonyms
1
8.1
A plant that grows from a bulb and makes white or purple flowers in autumn
A bulb plant with pale purple or white flowers that blooms in autumn and is highly poisonous
A plant with a bulb-like root that makes flowers in autumn like a crocus
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'meadow saffron' is fairly compositional: a learner who knows 'meadow' and 'saffron' will infer it refers to a saffron-like plant associated with meadows. However, the term denotes a specific bulbous autumn-flowering species (not the true saffron) and includes botanical/seasonal specifics that are not fully predictable from the parts, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
Meadow saffron is a name that comes from the plant's look and where it grows: it often appears in a meadow and its purple flowers reminded people of real saffron. That's why the name came to mean the autumn flower now called the 'autumn crocus'.