whispering bells
- noun
- US
:
campanas susurrantes
- Whispering bells thrive in the dry soil of the southwestern deserts, producing lovely yellow blooms.
Examples
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Whispering bells are often found blooming after winter rains in the deserts of California.
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The delicate yellow flowers of whispering bells sway gently in the breeze.
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Botanists study whispering bells to understand how plants adapt to dry, arid climates.
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Look at those beautiful whispering bells!
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I saw a field of whispering bells last spring.
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In the springtime, the vibrant yellow flowers of whispering bells can be seen across the arid landscape.
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Known for their resilience, whispering bells flourish in harsh desert conditions, showcasing bright yellow petals.
Synonyms
A sticky plant that grows in dry southwestern United States deserts with drooping yellow flowers
A sticky plant with hanging yellow flowers that grows in dry places in the southwestern United States
A sticky desert plant with hanging yellow flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts give partial clues: 'bell' evokes a bell-shaped form (applicable to bell-shaped flowers) and 'whispering' evokes a soft, delicate quality, so a learner may guess a delicate bell-shaped thing. However, the full meaning as a specific sticky herb with drooping yellow flowers native to the southwestern US (and its botanical reference) is not fully derivable from the constituents, so the expression is not completely transparent.
Etymology
Whispering bells may come from the plant's small, bell-shaped yellow flowers that hang down. When a soft breeze moves the blooms they look like tiny bells and seem to whisper, so the name fits this sticky herb with drooping yellow flowers.
