princess pine
- noun
- /ˈprɪnsɛs paɪn/
- US
:
pino de princesa
- During our hike, we spotted clusters of princess pine nestled among the ferns.
Examples
-
The trail was a carpet of princess pine.
Fiction book (1991) -
And then there's some cedar and some Princess pine and some noble fur tips.
-
We've got some cedar, there's some Princess pine in here.
-
The forest floor was covered in lush princess pine, creating a beautiful green carpet.
-
The gardener used princess pine as a decorative element in her landscaping project.
Synonyms
A low evergreen plant that looks like a small pine and grows on forest floors
A low plant that looks like a small evergreen tree but is not a tree
An evergreen plant that grows on the forest floor with creeping stems and upright leafy shoots
Surface Forms
Morphology
princess + pine
The compound 'princess pine' transparently signals a kind of plant built from 'princess' (modifier) + 'pine' (a pine tree), so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer it refers to a plant related to or resembling a pine. However, the specific botanical sense (it is actually a clubmoss, not a true pine) and the pragmatic function of 'princess' are not predictable from the parts, so the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Princess pine gets its name from the plant's look: it grows like a tiny, neat pine and its delicate, upright shape made people think of a princess. So the name gives a clear picture and now means a 'small pine tree' style evergreen rather than a true pine.
