sheep laurel
- noun
- /ʃip ˈlɔrəl/
- Specialized
:
laurel de oveja
- The fields were dotted with sheep laurel, its red blossoms standing out against the green foliage.
Examples
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Botanists often compare sheep laurel to mountain laurel due to their similar appearance.
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Farmers warn that sheep laurel can be dangerous to grazing animals if not removed from pastures.
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The sheep laurel blooms beautifully in the spring.
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Farmers should be cautious of sheep laurels near grazing areas.
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Farmers are cautious when grazing their livestock near sheep laurel because its flowers are poisonous.
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The sheep laurel blooms in early summer, displaying clusters of small red flowers among its narrow leaves.
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It is important to educate new farmers about the risks of sheep laurel to avoid harming young animals.
Synonyms
A small bush with narrow leaves and red flowers that is poisonous to young farm animals
A small North American shrub with narrow leaves and red flowers that is poisonous to young farm animals
A low evergreen bush with narrow leaves and small red flowers that is poisonous to young sheep
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound clearly signals a type of laurel (laurel = plant), and the modifier 'sheep' indicates an association with sheep, so a learner would infer it is a plant linked to sheep. However the specific sense — that it is a particular North American dwarf shrub and poisonous to young livestock — is not fully derivable from the parts, so only partial predictability exists.
Etymology
The plant name sheep laurel may come from farmers who found the low shrub growing in pastures and noticed it could be 'poisonous' to young animals. The name links sheep (the animals) and laurel (a leafy bush), so the image of a plant that can harm sheep explains the name.
