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Glite Dictionary
Spanish broom

Spanish broom

8.5
A tall thornless shrub from the Mediterranean with sweet-smelling yellow flowers and flexible stems used to make baskets
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : escoba española
  • They planted Spanish broom along the sunny hillside for its colorful flowers.

Examples

  • The Spanish broom blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • I love the scent of Spanish broom in my garden.

  • Spanish broom thrives in dry, rocky soils and full sunlight.

  • The garden was brightened by the vibrant blooms of Spanish broom.

  • The garden was filled with beautiful Spanish broom, its fragrant yellow flowers attracting many bees.

  • She decided to plant Spanish broom in her yard because of its ornamental value and its low maintenance needs.

  • The florist used flexible stems of Spanish broom to create a stunning arrangement filled with vibrant colors.

Synonyms

Spartium junceum
vsSpanish broom
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall thornless bush with pale yellow flowers and flexible twigs used for weaving baskets

is the common ornamental plant noted for fragrant yellow blooms and garden use
weaver's broom
vsSpanish broom
  • UK
9.9

A tall bush with pale yellow flowers and flexible twigs used to make baskets

is the ornamental Mediterranean shrub valued for fragrant flowers and flexible stems

Surface Forms

Spanish broom singular
Spanish brooms plural

Morphology

Spanish + broom

The meaning is directly compositional: 'Spanish' (of/from Spain) modifies 'broom' (a shrub), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a broom-type plant associated with Spain or the Mediterranean. Nationality + plant compounds are common cross-linguistically and follow normal English noun phrase patterns, making the expression immediately understandable to B1 learners.

Etymology

Spanish broom may get its name from its origin and use: the word Spanish points to Spain, and people used the long, flexible stems of the shrub to make a broom. So the name now means a tall, yellow-flowered shrub that was 'used to make brooms'.