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Glite Dictionary
water dropwort

water dropwort

9.9
A very poisonous plant with yellow flowers and leaves like celery that can harm people and animals
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : agua de veneno
  • The yellow juice from water dropwort can stain the skin and is highly poisonous.

Examples

  • The leaves of the water dropwort resemble those of celery, making it easy to mistake.

  • Farmers are warned to keep livestock away from water dropwort because of its extreme toxicity.

  • The water dropwort is often found in wetland areas.

  • Many people are unaware that water dropworts are highly toxic.

  • Farmers are warned to keep livestock away from water dropwort because of its extreme toxicity.

  • The leaves of the water dropwort resemble those of celery, making it easy to mistake for a safe herb.

  • The yellow juice from water dropwort can stain the skin and is extremely poisonous to humans.

Synonyms

hemlock water dropwort
vswater dropwort
  • UK
9.9

A European plant with leaves like parsley that grows near streams and is deadly in all parts

is a more general name not limited to that specific variety
Oenanthe crocata
vswater dropwort
  • Specialized
9.9

A European plant with thick roots and yellow juice that is very poisonous

mentions celery-like foliage and yellow flowers in addition to roots and poison
Oenanthe aquatica
vswater dropwort
  • Specialized
9.9

A poisonous plant in Europe that grows in wet places like marshes, called water dropwort

has tuberous roots rather than fibrous ones as a key feature
water fennel
vswater dropwort
  • UK
9.9

A poisonous plant with many thin roots that grows near water

has tuberous roots rather than fibrous roots found in wet plants
dropwort
vswater dropwort
  • UK
9.9

A plant with umbrella-shaped flower clusters that grows in wet places and is often poisonous

is a single species with tuberous roots and yellow staining juice

Surface Forms

water dropwort singular
water dropworts plural

Morphology

water + dropwort

The compound is compositional: 'water' functions as a modifier specifying the habitat/quality of the noun 'dropwort' (a wetland plant), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a kind of dropwort found in water/wetlands. This modifier+plant pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. water-lily, watercress), making the overall meaning transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun water dropwort paints a simple picture: water shows it grows in wet places, drop refers to small root pieces that look like 'drops', and wort is an old word for 'plant'. That's why water dropwort means a wet-area 'plant' and today names a very poisonous herb.