wood garlic
- noun
- UK
:
ajo silvestre
- In spring, wood garlic carpets the forest floor with its white flowers.
Examples
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Many foragers seek wood garlic for its unique flavor, which complements various dishes like soups and salads.
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The leaves of wood garlic can be used in salads and pestos.
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He recognized the strong scent of wood garlic during his walk in the woods.
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I found some wood garlic while hiking in the forest.
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Have you ever cooked with wood garlic?
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During our hike, we often smelled the pungent aroma of wood garlic in the damp woodlands.
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In the spring, the forest is vibrant with the delicate white flowers of wood garlic blooming among the greenery.
Synonyms
1
3.0
A strong-smelling plant with broad leaves that grows in woods and people use in cooking
A wild plant with broad leaves that smell strongly of garlic
A wild plant with broad green leaves and a strong garlic smell that grows in damp woods
A wild plant with broad leaves and white flowers whose leaves smell like garlic and are edible
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a garlic-like plant that grows in woods' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'wood' (a wooded area) with 'garlic' (the garlic plant), so a learner who knows both words can infer this refers to a garlic plant found in woodlands. This noun-compounding pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Wood garlic is named for the picture it makes: a plant that grows in the wood and smells like garlic. Because it is a wild onion you can eat that covers the forest floor, the name came to mean 'a wild plant with a strong garlic smell that grows in damp woods'.