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Glite Dictionary
smooth aster

smooth aster

8.1
A North American plant that lives many years with smooth leaves and pale violet flowers
  • noun
  • /smuːð ˈæstər/
  • US
translation icon : aster liso
  • The smooth aster blooms in late summer with striking violet flowers.

Examples

  • You can find the smooth aster growing wild in prairies and open woodlands.

  • Gardeners often plant smooth asters to attract butterflies and bees.

  • The smooth aster blooms beautifully in late summer.

  • I planted several smooth asters in my garden this year.

  • Gardeners often plant smooth asters to attract butterflies and bees.

  • The smooth aster blooms in late summer with striking violet flowers.

  • You can find the smooth aster growing wild in prairies and open woodlands.

Surface Forms

smooth aster singular
smooth asters plural

Morphology

smooth + aster

This is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'smooth' modifies 'aster', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a type of aster characterized by smooth leaves or texture. The meaning follows normal compositional noun-phrase patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so prior exposure is not necessary.

Etymology

Smooth aster gets its name from two simple images: smooth for its hairless leaves and stems, and aster from a word meaning 'star' because each flower looks like a small star. So the name tells you it is a plant with 'smooth' leaves and star-shaped flowers.