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Glite Dictionary
European honeysuckle

European honeysuckle

8.4
A climbing shrub that has sweet-smelling white and yellow flowers and red fruit
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : madreselva europea
  • The garden was filled with the sweet scent of European honeysuckle in bloom.

Examples

  • She planted a European honeysuckle near the fence to attract butterflies.

  • Clusters of scarlet fruit appear on the European honeysuckle after its flowers fade.

  • Look at the lovely European honeysuckle flowers!

  • The European honeysuckle blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Clusters of scarlet fruit appear on the European honeysuckle after its flowers fade.

  • She planted a European honeysuckle near the fence to attract butterflies.

  • The garden was filled with the sweet scent of European honeysuckle in bloom.

Synonyms

woodbine
vsEuropean honeysuckle
  • UK
1 9.9

A climbing plant with sweet-smelling red and pale yellow flowers

is cultivated as a garden shrub noted for fragrant flowers and scarlet fruit
Lonicera periclymenum
vsEuropean honeysuckle
  • Specialized
9.9

A climbing honeysuckle with fragrant red and cream flowers

is described as the cultivated shrub valued for fragrant flowers and scarlet fruit

Surface Forms

European honeysuckle singular
European honeysuckles plural

Morphology

European + honeysuckle

The phrase denotes a honeysuckle associated with Europe; knowing 'European' (connected with Europe) and 'honeysuckle' (a climbing shrub with fragrant flowers) allows a learner to infer the referent. This adjectival modifier + noun pattern for plant names is cross-linguistically common and thus immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

European honeysuckle gets its name from people sucking the sweet nectar from its long, tube-shaped flowers. The parts honey, for the sweet taste, and suckle, an old word for 'to suck', explain the name, so today it refers to a shrub known for honey-sweet flowers and bright fruit.