red osier
- noun
- /rɛd ˈoʊʒər/
- US
:
sauce rojo
- The red osier thrives in wetland areas.
- red-osier dogwood
Examples
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The wetland was lined with red osier that added a splash of color even in winter.
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Gardeners often plant red osier for its attractive stems and wildlife value.
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In early summer, the red osier blooms with clusters of small white flowers.
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Many birds build nests in red osier shrubs.
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The red osier is often found in wetlands, where its reddish-purple twigs and white flowers thrive.
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In the wetland, the beautiful red osier shrub displays vibrant red stems and attracts various birds.
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The red osier grows alongside other shrubs in the swamp, providing habitat for local wildlife.
Synonyms
A shrub with red stems and small white flowers often growing near streams
A North American shrub with red branches and white flowers
A bush with reddish-purple twigs and white flowers that grows near wet ground
A small North American tree grown in gardens for its white spring flowers and red berries
A small bush with red stems, white flowers, and berries often grown in gardens
Surface Forms
Morphology
red + osier
This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'red' (a color) modifies 'osier' (a type of willow), so if a learner knows both constituent meanings the phrase denotes the red-colored variety of osier. The meaning is fully predictable from the parts, though 'osier' itself is low-frequency and may be unknown to many learners.
Etymology
Red osier comes from the old word osier for a 'willow used for baskets'. Because this shrub has bright red stems that look like those basket willows, people called it red osier, so the name now means the red-stemmed wetland shrub.
