English hawthorn
- noun
:
espino inglés
- Gardeners often use English hawthorn to form dense, thorny hedges.
Examples
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The English hawthorn produces clusters of bright red berries in late summer.
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The English hawthorn blooms beautifully in spring.
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In some regions, the English hawthorn has become naturalized outside its native range.
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Many gardeners prefer English hawthorns for their hedges.
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Gardeners often use English hawthorn to form dense, thorny hedges.
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The English hawthorn produces clusters of bright red berries in late summer.
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The English hawthorn blooms beautifully in spring.
Synonyms
7
5.4
A small tree or bush with white spring flowers and red berries
A small thorny tree with groups of white flowers and red berries
A shrub or small tree with sharp thorns, white flowers, and red berries
A thorny bush or small tree with white flowers and red berries
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase denotes a type or variety of hawthorn associated with England, so its meaning is directly compositional from 'English' (pertaining to England) + 'hawthorn' (a shrub). Nationality/attribute + noun compounds naming plant varieties are cross-linguistically common and follow predictable patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
English hawthorn likely comes from old words: haw, meaning 'hedge' or the small red 'berry', and thorn, meaning a sharp branch. People planted this spiky shrub to make thick, strong hedges, so the name points to a thorny 'hedge' plant.