wild vanilla

8.9

A plant with leaves that smell like vanilla when crushed

noun
/waɪld vəˈnɪlə/

: vainilla silvestre

The leaves of the wild vanilla release a sweet aroma when crushed.

Examples

Many gardeners appreciate wild vanilla for its attractive foliage and pleasant scent.
The wild vanilla plant grows abundantly in Florida.
Botanists studied the unique properties of wild vanilla growing in wetland areas.
Have you ever smelled wild vanilla leaves?
Many gardeners appreciate wild vanilla for its attractive foliage and pleasant scent.
The leaves of the wild vanilla release a sweet aroma when crushed.
Botanists studied the unique properties of wild vanilla growing in wetland areas.

Synonyms

Trilisa odoratissima

vswild vanilla

Specialized

9.9

A plant from the southeastern United States that lives for many years and has leaves that smell like vanilla

is the common name used instead of the scientific form

Surface Forms

wild vanilla singular

wild vanillas plural

Morphology

wild + vanilla

The meaning (a vanilla plant growing naturally) is directly and predictably derived from combining 'wild' (growing naturally, not cultivated) with 'vanilla' (the plant). This adjective+noun composition follows a standard, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended sense.

Etymology

Wild vanilla gets its name from the sweet vanilla smell of its leaves when they are crushed. The word wild shows it 'grows in nature', so the name tells you both its scent and that it grows outside gardens.