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Glite Dictionary
wind poppy

wind poppy

8.8
A wildflower with thin stems and bright red cup-shaped flowers that grows in California
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : pavón de viento
  • The hills were dotted with vibrant wind poppies after the spring rains.

Examples

  • Hikers stopped to photograph a cluster of wind poppy blossoms along the trail.

  • The wind poppy blooms in early spring.

  • Because the wind poppy is so delicate, it sways easily in the slightest breeze.

  • We saw many wind poppies on our hike.

  • Hikers stopped to photograph a cluster of wind poppy blossoms along the trail.

  • The hills were dotted with vibrant wind poppies after the spring rains.

  • The wind poppy blooms in early spring.

Synonyms

Papaver heterophyllum
vswind poppy
  • Specialized
9.9

A wild poppy that grows in California with bright red flowers

is the common name for that species rather than the formal species name
Stylomecon heterophyllum
vswind poppy
  • Specialized
9.9

A wild poppy with bright red flowers that grows in California

is the common name for that species rather than the formal species name
Stylomecon
vswind poppy
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of related plants that includes the wind poppy

is the specific wildflower species rather than the wider plant genus

Surface Forms

wind poppy singular
wind poppies plural

Morphology

wind + poppy

The noun–noun compound 'wind poppy' is directly interpretable as a type of poppy associated with wind; a B1 learner who knows 'wind' and 'poppy' can reasonably infer it names a kind of flowering plant (a poppy) related to windy conditions or with stems that sway. This follows a common, compositional English pattern for naming plant varieties, so the meaning is transparently derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Wind poppy may come from the way this bright, cup-shaped flower sways on thin stems in even a small breeze. That's why the words wind and poppy help you picture this delicate 'wildflower'.