parrot's beak
- noun
- New Zealand
:
pico de loro
- The parrot's beak is a stunning plant, with bright flowers that resemble the beak of a bird.
Examples
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The parrot's beak shrub attracts many bees and butterflies with its beautiful, vibrant blooms.
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In my garden, I planted a parrot's beak, and it's already starting to bloom with vivid colors.
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Parrot's Beak—
Blog text (12)
Synonyms
A plant from New Zealand that stays green all year with beak-shaped red or white flowers
A shrub from New Zealand with leaves that stay green and red or white claw-shaped flowers like bird beaks
Surface Forms
Morphology
parrot's + beak
The compound transparently signals a beak-like shape—knowing 'parrot' and 'beak' allows a learner to infer something shaped like a parrot's beak. However, the fact that the referent is a specific evergreen shrub (rather than the literal bird part) is not fully predictable from the words alone, so learners may not infer the botanical meaning without context or exposure.
Etymology
Parrot's beak is the name of an evergreen shrub whose bright, curved flowers look like a parrot's beak, so the name helps you picture the plant.
