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Glite Dictionary
wintergreen family

wintergreen family

9.6
A group of evergreen herb plants that grow in cool regions like Pyrola and Chimaphila
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪntərˌɡrin ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las wintergreen
  • The wintergreen family consists of various evergreen herbs found in temperate climates.

Examples

  • The wintergreen family includes many plants with glossy leaves and small white flowers.

  • Several medicinal herbs belong to the wintergreen family.

  • He studied the distribution of the wintergreen family across northern forests.

  • The wintergreen family includes many unique plants.

  • Did you know that the wintergreen family contains several medicinal herbs?

  • Plants in the wintergreen family are often characterized by their hardy nature and persistent foliage.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the unique traits of the wintergreen family for landscaping in cooler areas.

Synonyms

Pyrolaceae
vswintergreen family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small evergreen plants with waxy flowers that grow in cool wet forests

is the common English family name for those same evergreen herbs

Surface Forms

wintergreen family singular
wintergreen families plural

Morphology

wintergreen + family

The phrase is directly compositional: 'wintergreen' names a type of evergreen plant and 'family' denotes a taxonomic grouping, so the meaning 'a family of wintergreen plants' follows straightforwardly from the parts. This scientific/technical label uses common word senses and mirrors equivalent constructions in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.

Etymology

Wintergreen family comes from the words winter and green because these small herbs keep their leaves green in winter and often give a minty smell. So, the name now means 'a group of related plants' that stay green in cold months.