rose leek
- noun
- /roʊz lik/
- US
:
cebolla de rosa
- The rose leek is easily identified by its drooping clusters of pink flowers.
Examples
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Gardeners often plant the rose leek for its attractive appearance and mild onion scent.
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A variety of pollinators are attracted to the blossoms of the rose leek.
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The rose leek blooms beautifully in the spring.
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I saw a rose leek in the garden yesterday.
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The rose leek is well-known for its nodding clusters of pink flowers that brighten up gardens.
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Many bees and butterflies love to visit the rose leek blooms in the summer.
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In North America, the rose leek can often be found in meadows and along roadsides.
Synonyms
A wild onion plant from North America with drooping white or pink flowers
A wild North American plant with a small onion bulb and drooping white or pink flowers
A wild onion plant with drooping white to pink flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositional: 'rose' used attributively signals a rose-like or rose-colored quality and 'leek' names a leek-like plant, so the overall meaning (a leek-like plant with rose/pink flowers) is directly derivable from the parts. This follows common English noun–noun naming patterns for plants, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would most likely understand the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The plant name rose leek comes from its drooping clusters of 'pink' flowers that look like tiny roses, and from the fact it belongs to the 'onion family' like leeks. That's why the name helps you remember its pink blossoms and its relation to leeks.
