red sorrel
- noun
- UK
:
sorrel rojo
- Farmers harvested red sorrel for its calyxes, which are used to make jams and jellies.
Examples
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The refreshing drink was made from dried red sorrel petals and sweet spices.
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The bast fiber of red sorrel is used in making coarse textiles in some regions.
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The chef used red sorrel to enhance the flavor of the dish.
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Many people enjoy making jelly from red sorrel.
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Farmers harvested red sorrel for its calyxes, which are used to make jams and jellies.
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Many people enjoy making jelly from red sorrel during the summer months.
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The refreshing drink was made from dried red sorrel petals and sweet spices.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A plant with red flower parts used to make drinks, jams, and strong fiber
1
9.9
A tropical plant with red parts around its flowers used to make drinks and cloth
A tropical plant with red flower parts people use to make drinks, jams, and sometimes fiber
A tropical plant with red edible flower parts used for tea and jam and for strong fiber
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is transparently compositional: 'red' simply specifies the color/variety of the herb 'sorrel', so a learner who knows both words will infer it refers to a red variety of sorrel. This modifier+noun pattern is a standard, cross-linguistically common construction and does not involve any idiomatic shift, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The noun red sorrel may come from the plant's bright red flower cups and its sour taste: 'sorrel' meant 'sour', and people used the red, sour parts to make drinks and jams.