Dame's violet
1
9.2
- noun
- I could smell the sweet scent of Dame's violet as dusk approached.
Examples
-
Wild Dame's violet has spread through woodlands and roadsides in this region.
-
The garden looked beautiful in spring with clusters of Dame's violet along the borders.
-
Look at the lovely Dame's violet!
-
The Dame's violet blooms beautifully.
-
As the sun set, the air filled with the delightful fragrance of Dame's violet in the garden.
-
During our evening stroll, we admired the clusters of Dame's violet that brightened the park.
-
In late spring, the charming purple blossoms of Dame's violet can be seen in many local gardens.
Synonyms
1
8.9
A tall garden plant with strong sweet-smelling purple or white flowers that smell at night
1
9.9
A plant from Europe and Asia that grows in gardens and wild places with sweet-smelling purple or white flowers
A tall garden plant with sweet smelling flowers that become stronger in the evening
How Fragrant
Surface Forms
Morphology
Dame's + violet
The phrase is a straightforward possessive noun phrase: 'Dame's' (possessive of 'dame') + 'violet' (a kind of flower), so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a type of violet/flower associated with or named after a dame. Although botanical names can be technically inaccurate (this species is not a true Viola), the basic idea 'a violet-like plant' is directly derivable from the constituents and cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
Dame's violet gets its name from the word dame, meaning 'lady', and from its violet-like flowers. People often planted these sweet-smelling flowers by their homes and the scent is strongest in the 'evening', so the name helps you remember a lady's evening-scented flower.