French sorrel
1
7.6
- noun
- /frɛntʃ ˈsɔrəl/
- She added fresh French sorrel to the salad for a sharp, lemony flavor.
Examples
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The chef garnished the dish with finely chopped French sorrel leaves.
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I love adding French sorrel to my salads.
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Gardeners value French sorrel for its vibrant green leaves and tangy taste.
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Have you tried French sorrel soup?
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The rounded, often red-veined leaves of French sorrel add a welcome lemony zing to spring salads.
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Salads were an important feature of the evening meal, and often included spinach, peppergrass, endive, sprouts, and French sorrel.
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After your next weeding session, add a few leaves of French sorrel to a salad or soup for a tart flavor.
Synonyms
4
7.0
A plant with sour green leaves used in salads or cooking
1
8.6
A small plant with arrow-shaped sour leaves often eaten in salads and growing in dry places
1
8.1
A small plant with arrow-shaped sour leaves often used in salads
1
5.6
A plant with sour leaves used in salads and cooking
1
9.9
A low plant called French sorrel with small silvery-green arrow-shaped leaves that cooks use in salads
A leafy herb with sour pointed leaves used in salads and sauces
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward attributive noun phrase: 'French' specifies origin/type and 'sorrel' names the edible sour-leaved herb, so the combined meaning (a variety of sorrel associated with France) is directly derivable from the parts. This adjectival modification is a common compositional pattern in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
French sorrel is named for its taste and its cooking history: sorrel comes from an old word for 'sour' because the leaves have a sharp, lemon-like flavor, and French points to the way this variety was used a lot in French cooking. So the name reminds you it is a tart, edible leaf used in salads and sauces.