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Glite Dictionary
stinking clover

stinking clover

8.6
A plant with leaves in groups of three and small white or pink flowers that smells unpleasant
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : trébol hediondo
  • I recognized the stinking clover by its distinctive trifoliate leaves and unusual scent.

Examples

  • The stinking clover brightened the roadside with its delicate pink blooms.

  • The stinking clover grows abundantly in California.

  • Gardeners sometimes plant stinking clover as an ornamental in mixed borders.

  • Many gardeners love the stinking clover for its unique flowers.

  • Gardeners sometimes plant stinking clover as an ornamental in mixed borders.

  • I recognized the stinking clover by its distinctive trifoliate leaves and unusual scent.

  • The stinking clover brightened the roadside with its delicate pink blooms.

Synonyms

Cleome serrulata
vsstinking clover
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant from western North America with three-part leaves and pink or white spider-shaped flowers

is only sometimes used for ornament rather than often cultivated
Rocky Mountain bee plant
vsstinking clover
  • US
7.5

A garden plant with pink or white flowers that attract bees

is only sometimes used for ornament rather than often cultivated

Surface Forms

stinking clover singular
stinking clovers plural

Morphology

stinking + clover

The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'stinking' describes the odor quality and 'clover' names the plant, so a learner who knows both words will understand it as a clover that smells strongly. The additional botanical/geographic details in the dictionary sense are background information but do not affect the transparently compositional meaning.

Etymology

Stinking clover gets its name from the plant's very strong, sometimes bad smell. The word stinking points to the 'smell bad' and clover is the small plant with three leaves, so the name explains why people notice it even when it is grown as an 'ornamental'.