silver fern
- noun
:
helecho plateado
- In its native habitat, the silver fern thrives in humid, shaded areas.
Examples
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The silver fern is easily identified by the pale color beneath its fronds.
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Many gardeners admire the silver fern for its distinctive appearance.
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The silver fern is a symbol of New Zealand.
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I found a silver fern while hiking in the forest.
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The silver fern is often seen in New Zealand's lush forests, its fronds shining with a silvery hue underneath.
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Many tourists take photos of the silver fern, enchanted by its beautiful white undersides in the sunlight.
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The silver fern's striking appearance makes it popular among gardeners who appreciate its unique coloring.
Synonyms
A fern with white undersides on its leaves that grows in southern tropical Africa
A tropical fern with leaves that are white underneath
A tall fern with divided leaves and shiny silver undersides
A small fern with narrow leaves that look shiny and silver underneath
A large fern with a tall dark trunk and long feather-like leaves that form a crown
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a type of fern with silvery undersides' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'silver' (silvery pale hue) with 'fern' (the plant), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the referent. This noun–noun compounding pattern is common and cross-linguistically natural, making the MWE immediately comprehensible from its parts.
Etymology
Silver fern The plant name silver fern comes from a fern whose leaves have a pale, shiny underside that looks silver in the light. So the name simply means a fern with 'silvery' undersides.
