American ivy
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈaɪvi/
- US
:
hiedra americana
- The American ivy climbed up the old brick wall.
Examples
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The fence was covered in American ivy, making the garden look lush and green.
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Some birds are attracted to the berries of American ivy during the fall.
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He planted American ivy along the house to help keep the walls cool in summer.
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Many gardeners love to grow American ivy for its lush appearance.
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He planted American ivy along the house to help keep the walls cool in summer.
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Some birds are attracted to the berries of American ivy during the fall.
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The fence was covered in American ivy, making the garden look lush and green.
Synonyms
1
5.4
A climbing plant with five leaflets on each stem and dark berries
1
9.9
A climbing vine with many small leaves on each stem and blue-black berries
A North American climbing plant also called Virginia creeper with leaves of five small leaflets and dark berries
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a North American climbing vine' is directly deducible from combining 'American' (relating to America/the United States) with 'ivy' (the plant). This nationality + noun composition is a common, compositional pattern across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
American ivy may come from early gardeners who saw a climbing plant that looked like the ivy they knew but grew in America, so they called it American ivy. That's why American ivy means a 'climbing vine' with compound leaves and bluish-black berries.