sprig tail

9.9

A large brown bird with long, pointed tail feathers that lives in open grasslands

noun
/sprɪg teɪl/

: grouse de cola puntiaguda

The sharp-tailed grouse, commonly called a sprig tail, thrives in open grasslands.

Examples

Local hunters often seek the elusive sprig tail during the fall season.
A sprig tail was spotted dancing in the early morning light on the prairie.
The sprig tail is a beautiful bird.
Look at that sprig tail flying gracefully!
While hiking, we saw a magnificent sprig tail displaying its long tail feathers in the sunlight.
During the spring migration, many birdwatchers come to observe the sprig tail in its natural habitat.
In the early morning, the sprig tail can often be heard calling from the tall grass.

Synonyms

sharp-tailed grouse

vssprig tail

9.5

A large land bird with pointed tail feathers found in western prairies and open forests

is a descriptive phrase focusing on long pointed tail feathers

Pedioecetes phasianellus

vssprig tail

Specialized

9.9

A large brown bird that lives on grasslands and open forests in western North America

is the ordinary descriptive form used without scientific naming

sharptail

vssprig tail

7.9

A North American bird with a pointed tail that lives in grasslands and flies fast

is more about long pointed tail feathers than flight ability

Surface Forms

sprig tail singular

sprig tails plural

Morphology

sprig + tail

The first element 'sprig' is either missing from the learner's lexicon or denotes a small twig, which does not plausibly lead to the meaning 'large grouse with long pointed tail feathers.' Only 'tail' contributes a literal cue, so the compound's overall meaning is lexicalized and unpredictable from its parts for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Sprig tail comes from the bird's long, pointed sprig-like tail feathers that look like a small sharp twig, and that's why the name refers to a large grouse with a thin, pointed tail.