Venus's girdle
- noun
:
cinturón de Venus
- The Venus's girdle is known for its shimmering, rainbow-like appearance.
Examples
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Scientists observed a Venus's girdle gliding gracefully through the illuminated water near the reef.
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The Venus's girdle glowed beautifully in the aquarium.
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During the dive, we spotted several Venus's girdles drifting among the schools of fish.
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Have you ever seen a Venus's girdle in the ocean?
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During the dive, we spotted several Venus's girdles drifting among the schools of fish.
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Scientists observed a Venus's girdle gliding gracefully through the illuminated water near the reef.
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The Venus's girdle is known for its shimmering, rainbow-like appearance.
Synonyms
A sea animal shaped like a clear, glowing ribbon that lives in warm oceans
A long thin sea animal with a clear ribbon like body that moves smoothly and gives off light
Surface Forms
Morphology
Venus's + girdle
Although 'girdle' suggests a band or ribbon, the compound 'Venus's girdle' is a lexicalized species name referring to a specific iridescent marine ctenophore; a B1 learner who knows 'Venus' and 'girdle' would most likely infer an ornamental belt or mythological association, not a type of jellyfish-like animal. The biological referent and specialized sense are not derivable from the constituent meanings and require encyclopedic knowledge, so the expression is opaque.
Etymology
Venus's girdle was named for the animal's long, flat, ribbon shape and its rainbow shine, so people pictured the goddess Venus and her girdle 'belt'. That's why the name now means a shiny, ribbon-shaped sea creature.
