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Christmas rose

Christmas rose

6.9
A plant with white or pale purple rose-like flowers that bloom in winter often near Christmas
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɪs·məs roʊz/
translation icon : rosa de Navidad
  • The Christmas rose blooms beautifully in our garden during the winter months.

Examples

  • The Christmas rose blooms beautifully in winter.

  • The Christmas rose blooms in the middle of winter, brightening many gardens with its delicate flowers.

  • Despite its name, the Christmas rose is not a true rose but is cherished for its winter beauty.

  • Many people plant the Christmas rose for its beautiful blossoms that appear just in time for the holidays.

  • I received a Christmas rose as a gift.

  • Many people choose to give Christmas roses as gifts during the holiday season.

  • In her garden, she planted several Christmas roses that brought color to the snowy landscape.

Synonyms

Helleborus niger
vsChristmas rose
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen plant with white or purple flowers that bloom in winter

is the everyday common name used around the holiday season
winter rose
vsChristmas rose
  • Specialized
6.7

A European plant that keeps green leaves and has white or purple flowers in winter

is tied more to the holiday timing rather than just the season
black hellebore
vsChristmas rose
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen European plant with leathery leaves and white winter flowers whose parts are poisonous if eaten

is a neutral description focusing on appearance and bloom time

How Showy

poinsettia
3 7.0
camellia
1 6.8
Christmas rose
6.9
snowdrop
1 1.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Christmas + rose

The compound 'Christmas rose' is compositionally clear: 'Christmas' locates it in time/association and 'rose' signals a flower, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a flower associated with Christmas (i.e. blooms around that time). Although botanically it is a specific plant not a true rose, that fine-grained distinction is not required for basic understanding, so the phrase is transparently interpretable by a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun Christmas rose is a winter plant whose white flowers look like a small rose and often appear around Christmas. Even though it is 'not a real rose', that clear picture of a rose blooming at Christmas is why people named it the Christmas rose.