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Glite Dictionary
whitlow grass

whitlow grass

9.9
A small weed with tiny white flowers that grows in lawns and bare ground
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : hierba panadizo
  • The small white flowers of whitlow grass can blanket waste ground in April.

Examples

  • Whitlow grass often appears in lawns and gardens as a persistent spring weed.

  • Many wildflower guides mention whitlow grass because of its early blooming season.

  • The whitlow grass blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Have you seen the whitlow grass in the garden?

  • Whitlow grass often appears in lawns and gardens as a persistent spring weed.

  • The small white flowers of whitlow grass can blanket waste ground in April.

  • Many wildflower guides mention whitlow grass because of its early blooming season.

Synonyms

Draba verna
vswhitlow grass
  • Specialized
9.9

A small plant that lives for one year and has tiny white flowers in early spring

is the common English name rather than the Latin one
shadflower
vswhitlow grass
  • UK
9.9

A small yearly weed with a low ring of leaves and long narrow seed pods

is the botanical Latin name often used in scientific contexts

Surface Forms

whitlow grass singular
whitlow grasses plural

Morphology

whitlow + grass

The modifier 'whitlow' is an obscure or lexicalized element (and is marked here as not found in the dictionary), so knowing 'grass' alone does not allow a learner to infer the specific botanical meaning. This is essentially a species/common name where the first element is arbitrary or historically motivated rather than a transparent descriptive modifier, so the overall meaning cannot be derived from the parts by a B1 learner.

Etymology

Whitlow grass may get its name from an old home cure: people used the plant to treat a painful finger sore called a 'whitlow'. Because the plant was linked to that sore, the name puts whitlow (the sore) and grass (a small plant) together, which is why today the tiny white‑flowered weed is called whitlow grass.