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Glite Dictionary
Chenopodium bonus-henricus

Chenopodium bonus-henricus

9.9
A leafy green plant like spinach that grows for several years and is eaten as a vegetable
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : buena rey Enrique
  • The chef added young leaves of Chenopodium bonus-henricus to the spring soup.

Examples

  • In some rural areas, Chenopodium bonus-henricus is still foraged and used as a leafy vegetable.

  • Gardeners appreciate Chenopodium bonus-henricus for its resilience and nutritional value.

  • Many chefs use Chenopodium bonus-henricus in their recipes.

  • Have you ever tried Chenopodium bonus-henricus as a potherb?

  • Gardeners appreciate Chenopodium bonus-henricus for its resilience and nutritional value.

  • In some rural areas, Chenopodium bonus-henricus is still foraged and used as a leafy vegetable.

  • The chef added young leaves of Chenopodium bonus-henricus to the spring soup.

Synonyms

Good-King-Henry
vsChenopodium bonus-henricus
9.9

A leafy plant with edible young leaves used like spinach

is the scientific Latin name rather than the common name
French spinach
vsChenopodium bonus-henricus
  • Specialized
9.4

A leafy plant like spinach that people grow to eat and that often grows wild in gardens

is a specific European perennial potherb rather than a general herb

Surface Forms

Chenopodium bonus-henricus singular
Chenopodium bonus-henricus plural

Morphology

Chenopodium + bonus-henricus

This is a Latin binomial (a scientific plant name) where the parts are taxonomic labels rather than compositional English words — one constituent ('bonus-henricus') is not a standard English lexical item. The name functions as an arbitrary label for a specific plant (Good King Henry) and its meaning as a perennial potherb cannot be derived from the constituents, so a B1 learner would not be able to infer the meaning from the parts alone.

Etymology

Chenopodium bonus-henricus may come from an old idea meaning 'good Henry', and people began to call the plant 'Good King Henry' because it was a very useful garden green. That's why the name fits its modern use as a reliable, nutritious leafy vegetable still gathered and eaten today.