moccasin flower
- noun
- /ˈmɒkəsɪn ˈflaʊər/
- US
:
flor mocasín
- Look at that moccasin flower!
Examples
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She spotted a rare moccasin flower while hiking in the Adirondacks.
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The moccasin flower blooms in shaded pine forests during late spring.
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Conservation efforts are underway to protect the delicate moccasin flower from habitat loss.
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I saw a beautiful moccasin flower in the forest.
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In the spring, the forest floor is covered with beautiful moccasin flowers that bloom in shades of pink.
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We spotted a rare moccasin flower nestled among the ferns during our hike in the woods.
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The moccasin flower is known for its unique, slipper-shaped petals that attract various pollinators.
Synonyms
A pink orchid that grows in shaded woods in eastern North America
A small wild orchid with pink flowers that grows in the woods of eastern North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: it denotes a flower that resembles a moccasin (a slipper), so the meaning is derivable from 'moccasin' + 'flower'. Shape-based naming of plants is literal and common across languages, making this easily inferable for a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
The noun moccasin flower comes from the plant's shape: a part of the flower makes a pouch that looks like a small soft shoe called a moccasin, so people picture a 'slipper' when they see it. That's why the name refers to this rose-pink woodland orchid.
