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French sorrel

French sorrel

7.6
A small green herb with sour leaves used in salads and cooking
  • noun
  • /frɛntʃ ˈsɔrəl/
translation icon : acederas francesa
  • She added fresh French sorrel to the salad for a sharp, lemony flavor.

Examples

  • The chef garnished the dish with finely chopped French sorrel leaves.

  • I love adding French sorrel to my salads.

  • Gardeners value French sorrel for its vibrant green leaves and tangy taste.

  • Have you tried French sorrel soup?

  • The rounded, often red-veined leaves of French sorrel add a welcome lemony zing to spring salads.

  • Salads were an important feature of the evening meal, and often included spinach, peppergrass, endive, sprouts, and French sorrel.

  • After your next weeding session, add a few leaves of French sorrel to a salad or soup for a tart flavor.

Synonyms

sorrel
vsFrench sorrel
2 7.0

A plant with sour green leaves used in salads or cooking

is one specific culinary herb inside that broader plant group
Rumex scutatus
vsFrench sorrel
  • Specialized
9.9

A low plant called French sorrel with small silvery-green arrow-shaped leaves that cooks use in salads

is the common culinary name rather than the botanical term
garden sorrel
vsFrench sorrel
5.6

A plant with sour leaves used in salads and cooking

is a different species from that linked plant despite similar culinary use
common sorrel
vsFrench sorrel
6.1

A leafy herb with sour pointed leaves used in salads and sauces

is described for tart edible leaves without stressing large leaf size
sheep sorrel
vsFrench sorrel
8.1

A small plant with arrow-shaped sour leaves often used in salads

is the plant used mainly for salads and cooking rather than wild growth
sheep's sorrel
vsFrench sorrel
8.6

A small plant with arrow-shaped sour leaves often eaten in salads and growing in dry places

is the herb chosen for tart leaves in cooking rather than wild use

Surface Forms

French sorrel singular

Morphology

French + sorrel

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.