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Glite Dictionary
quail bush

quail bush

9.9
A spiny shrub with silvery leaves that grows on dry, salty plains
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : arbusto de codorniz
  • The desert was dotted with quail bush, providing shelter for birds and small animals.

Examples

  • We planted a quail bush in our garden to attract local wildlife.

  • The quail bush thrives in arid conditions.

  • Botanists studied the drought resistance of the quail bush in its natural habitat.

  • Many quail bushes grow along the desert trails.

  • The desert was dotted with quail bush, providing shelter for birds and small animals.

  • Botanists studied the drought resistance of the quail bush in its natural habitat.

  • We planted a quail bush in our garden to attract local wildlife.

Synonyms

Atriplex lentiformis
vsquail bush
  • Specialized
9.9

A thorny bush with silver leaves that grows in dry salty ground

is the everyday common name used by local speakers
quail brush
vsquail bush
  • US
9.9

A spiny shrub with silvery leaves that grows on dry alkaline plains

is the usual common name used in other regions
white thistle
vsquail bush
  • Specialized
9.9

A spiny shrub with silvery leaves that grows on dry, often salty plains

is the same shrub but called with a different common label

Surface Forms

quail bush singular
quail bushes plural

Morphology

quail + bush

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound in which 'quail' modifies 'bush', so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a kind of bush associated with or named for quail. The exact botanical specifics (spiny, silvery leaves, regional habitat) are not predictable from the words, but the basic meaning 'a type of bush related to quail' is transparently compositional for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Quail bush gets its name from a simple scene: one popular story says the quail used the low, spiny bush for 'shelter' and to eat its seeds, so people began calling those plants 'quail bushes'. That's why the name now means a desert shrub that gives 'shelter' and 'food' to quail.