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Glite Dictionary
mouse-ear cress

mouse-ear cress

8.0
A small plant with tiny white flowers that scientists often use in plant research
  • noun
  • /ˈmaʊsˌɪr krɛs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : berroa
  • Researchers sequenced the genome of mouse-ear cress, paving the way for advances in botany.

Examples

  • Mouse-ear cress is a widely used model organism in plant genetic research due to its simple genetics.

  • The tiny white flowers of mouse-ear cress can be seen blooming in early spring.

  • Mouse-ear cress is often used by scientists to study plant genetics.

  • The mouse-ear cress is a common weed in many gardens.

  • Many researchers use mouse-ear cress for genetic studies.

  • Scientists have observed that mouse-ear cress has the smallest known genome of any higher plant.

  • Mouse-ear cress thrives in various environments, making it a popular subject for ecological studies.

Synonyms

Arabidopsis thaliana
vsmouse-ear cress
  • Specialized
8.1

A small flowering plant in the mustard family used in labs to study plant genes and growth

focuses on being self-pollinating and the first fully sequenced higher plant

Surface Forms

mouse-ear cress singular
mouse-ear cresses plural

Morphology

mouse-ear + cress

This is a descriptive noun–noun compound: 'cress' denotes a small leafy plant and 'mouse-ear' describes the shape/size of its leaves. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer it refers to a small plant with mouse‑ear‑shaped leaves, so the meaning is directly compositional and predictable.

Etymology

Mouse-ear cress gets its name from its very small leaves that look like a mouse's ears, which is the mouse-ear part, and from 'cress', a word for a small leafy plant. That's why the name helps you picture a tiny plant that scientists use in research.