Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
sea pink

sea pink

8.0
A low plant with pink or purple flowers that grows on coasts and rocky hills
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : mariposa de mar
  • The sea pink blooms beautifully in the spring.

Examples

  • Gardeners often plant sea pink as a colorful ground cover in well-drained soil.

  • Clusters of sea pink bloom brightly along the rocky shoreline each spring.

  • The resilient sea pink thrives where few other flowers can survive, battering salt winds on coastal cliffs.

  • My garden has several sea pinks along the walkway.

  • In the coastal garden, the sea pink added vibrant color with its tufted pink flowers.

  • The gardener chose sea pinks as ground cover for the rocky slopes near the beach.

  • Commonly found along the shore, sea pink thrives in salty air and well-drained soil.

Synonyms

Armeria maritima
vssea pink
  • Specialized
9.9

A low plant with grass-like leaves and pink or purple flower heads that grows by the sea

is the common general name for similar coastal tufted plants
cliff rose
vssea pink
9.6

A low plant with pink flowers that grows on cliffs and rocky coasts and is used as ground cover

is the commonly used name for the perennial with pink or purple tufted flowers

Surface Forms

sea pink singular
sea pinks plural

Morphology

sea + pink

The noun compound 'sea pink' is compositionally transparent: 'sea' modifies 'pink', indicating a pink (i.e. pink-colored) plant associated with the sea or seacoast. Even if learners do not know 'pink' as a plant name, a B1 learner who knows 'sea' and 'pink' (color) will readily infer it refers to a pink plant or pink thing that grows by the sea.

Etymology

Sea pink probably comes from the plant's bright pink flowers that grow by the sea, making low, colorful patches on rocks and cliffs. So the name simply describes this tough coastal flower and is used today for the plant and as a 'ground cover' in gardens.