wild spurge
- noun
- US
:
euforbia silvestre
- We identified the plant by its distinctive showy white bracts, typical of wild spurge.
Examples
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The fields were dotted with patches of wild spurge blooming in early summer.
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Gardeners should be cautious when handling wild spurge, as its sap can irritate the skin.
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The wild spurge blooms beautifully in the spring.
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Many gardeners appreciate the wild spurge for its unique appearance.
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The fields were dotted with patches of wild spurge blooming in early summer.
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We identified the plant by its distinctive showy white bracts, typical of wild spurge.
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Gardeners should be cautious when handling wild spurge, as its sap can irritate the skin.
Synonyms
A North American plant that lives for many years and has white parts like petals
A small North American plant with white petal-like parts that grows in dry fields
A common plant in the United States that lives for many years with showy white parts that look like petals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally built: 'wild' modifies 'spurge' to indicate a spurge growing in natural, untamed conditions. This modifier + noun pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the basic referent even if they lack botanical details.
Etymology
Wild spurge may come from spurge, a plant that 'squirts' milky 'sap' when cut and can 'irritate' the skin. So wild spurge today means a wild plant with showy white petal-like bracts and a milky sap that can cause skin irritation.
