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Glite Dictionary
American dogwood

American dogwood

4.4
A small North American tree grown in gardens for its white spring flowers and red berries
  • noun
  • /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈdɔɡwʊd/
  • US
translation icon : cornejo americano
  • Gardeners often choose American dogwood for their landscapes because of its colorful twigs and flowers.

Examples

  • Birds are attracted to the berries of the American dogwood in autumn.

  • The American dogwood is beautiful in spring.

  • The American dogwood produces beautiful white blossoms every spring.

  • Many gardeners love the American dogwood for its flowers.

  • The garden was beautiful, especially with the American dogwood showcasing its clusters of white flowers in bloom.

  • In the spring, the American dogwood adds a stunning display of blossoms to the landscape.

  • Many homeowners choose the American dogwood for its striking appearance and seasonal color changes.

Synonyms

dogwood
vsAmerican dogwood
11 5.9

A small tree or shrub that has showy flowers in spring and colorful stems

is the specific common shrub with reddish-purple twigs and white clusters
dogwood tree
vsAmerican dogwood
1 4.5

A small tree with bright white or pink flowers in clusters

is the common shrub known for reddish stems and clustered white flowers
red osier dogwood
vsAmerican dogwood
  • US
9.9

A shrub with red stems and small white flowers often growing near streams

is the broader common name rather than the specific species term
Cornus stolonifera
vsAmerican dogwood
  • Specialized
8.8

A North American shrub with red branches and white flowers

is the broader common name rather than the specific species term
red osier
vsAmerican dogwood
  • US
9.7

A North American shrub with red stems and small white flowers

is the broader common name rather than the specific species term
red dogwood
vsAmerican dogwood
6.0

A small bush with red stems, white flowers, and berries often grown in gardens

focuses on that same plant but as the common shrub name
eastern flowering dogwood
vsAmerican dogwood
  • US
8.2

A small tree from eastern North America with showy white or pink spring flowers and red fall berries

is the smaller shrub noted for reddish twigs and clustered white flowers
common white dogwood
vsAmerican dogwood
4.5

A small tree with large white or pink flowers and red berries

is the smaller shrub with reddish twigs and simple white flower clusters

Surface Forms

American dogwood singular
American dogwoods plural

Morphology

American + dogwood

The meaning — a dogwood associated with America — is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents 'American' (related to the United States/America) + 'dogwood' (a type of tree/shrub). This adjective+noun place-based naming pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows straightforward English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the MWE.

Etymology

American dogwood comes from an older English name for trees with very hard wood. One popular story says people used the tree's strong, pointed twigs as small 'dags' or skewers for meat, so people put the two words together, dog and wood, and 'American' simply shows the North American kind of the tree.