red trillium
- noun
- /rɛd ˈtrɪliəm/
- US
:
trillium rojo
- In the heart of the woods, the red trillium released a strong odor, attracting curious insects.
Examples
-
Climbing into a curve now, he passed a meadow of red trillium.
Fiction book (2002) -
The patch of forest was vibrant with beautiful red trillium blooming in the spring.
-
During our hike, we spotted a rare red trillium growing beside the trail.
Synonyms
A North American woodland plant with leaves without stalks and red or purple flowers that have a strong smell
A flowering plant that grows in forests with leaves without stems and red or purple flowers with a strong smell
A forest plant with red or purple strong-smelling flowers and leaves on the stem
A woodland plant with three broad leaves, dark smelly flowers, and a bitter root used in folk medicine
A long-lived plant with strong-smelling pink or purple flowers and a root used in traditional medicine to help childbirth
A North American plant with pink or purple flowers whose root people use to help women during childbirth
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjectival modification: 'red' (a color) + 'trillium' (a type of plant) yields a trillium that is red. The composition follows the common adjective + noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Red trillium gets its name from the plant's three-part shape: trillium points to its 'three' petals and three leaves, and red describes the flower's color. That's why the name points to this red, three-petaled woodland flower.
