Boston fern
- noun
- /ˈbɔːstən fɜrn/
:
helecho de Boston
- I paused to admire a clutch of Boston fern, their new fronds just unfurling in the sunlight.
Examples
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Jewell admired the lush Boston fern sitting on the stand by the French doors, thriving in the warm environment.
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Choose plants and flowers that thrive well with minimal light and a limited amount of care, like a peace lily, African violet, or a Boston fern.
Blog text (14) -
In warm months, the Beams add a large Boston fern to their living room for a touch of greenery.
Synonyms
54
1.3
A plant with feathery leaves that has no flowers and makes spores
A common house fern with long arching green leaves
A fern often grown in houses with long curved leaves
A tropical plant with long, narrow leaves shaped like a sword
Surface Forms
Morphology
Boston + fern
The meaning 'a species/type of fern associated with Boston' is directly and compositionally derived from the place-name modifier 'Boston' plus the noun 'fern'. Place-name + noun patterns that name varieties or cultivars are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer this refers to a kind of fern (even if they may not know specific botanical details).
Etymology
Boston fern is named after the city Boston. In the 1800s growers there sold a popular fern with long, drooping leaves that people hung in baskets, so the name Boston fern came to mean the common 'houseplant' with long, drooping leaves.