Virginia creeper
1
5.4
- noun
- /vərˈdʒɪnɪə ˈkriːpər/
- US
:
parra virgen
- In the fall, the Virginia creeper transforms, displaying vibrant red leaves that brighten the landscape.
- Virginia creeper vine
Examples
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Gardeners often choose Virginia creeper for its fast growth and beautiful bluish-black berries.
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I think the Virginia Creeper here has outdone itself this year.
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Now sunlight warmed the soft red bricks, over which a tracery of Virginia creeper had begun to climb.
Fiction book (1992) -
The Virginia creeper climbed up the old brick wall, adding a touch of green to the garden.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A climbing vine with many small leaves on each stem and blue-black berries
A North American climbing plant also called Virginia creeper with leaves of five small leaflets and dark berries
A climbing plant with compound leaves and dark berries
Surface Forms
Morphology
The headword is a straightforward place-name + noun compound: 'creeper' clearly denotes a climbing vine and 'Virginia' specifies association or origin. A B1 learner who knows both words would reasonably infer it is a vine associated with Virginia, so the basic referential meaning is compositional and transparent even if botanical details are not predictable.
Etymology
Virginia creeper gets its name from where it was common and how it grows: Virginia points to the US state where people often saw it, and creeper shows how the vine slowly 'creeps' up walls, fences, or trees. So the name helps you remember it is a climbing vine that spreads.