artificial flower
1
3.0
- noun
- /ˌɑːrtɪˈfɪʃəl ˈflaʊər/
:
flor artificial
- The sitter's entire outfit is rendered in patriotic red, white, and blue, from the Revolutionary cockade and artificial flowers on her bonnet.
Examples
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A woman ducks her head into the Skype window and says hello, sporting a hat that sprouts large artificial flowers.
Blog text (34) -
There were lace doilies over the arms and backs of the chairs and artificial flowers in the vase by the sofa.
Fiction book (1992) -
She made arrangements with artificial flowers, and people would travel from miles away to pick up her arrangements.
Blog text (1) -
The entire assemblage is surrounded by paper streamers and artificial flowers.
Academic text (2011) -
The black shawl with only one small tear in it completed her night's ensemble, except for her dark blue hat with an artificial flower.
Academic text (2009) -
He was born poor, but worked very hard during the boom years to build a company that manufactured artificial flowers and ornaments for foreign markets.
Fiction book (1997) -
Her elaborate floral staff displays two small scarlet birds perched on artificial flowers.
Academic text (2011) -
Cheap bracelets, music boxes, imitation military medals, and artificial flowers littered the countertops.
Fiction book (1997) -
On the night of Cruz de Mayo on May 3rd, decimistas sing the old traditional songs and recite poems in front of a cross on a public square that is decorated with candles and artificial flowers, just as in rural areas.
Academic text (1996) -
Someone had placed artificial flowers on a grave near the entrance, brightening the somber atmosphere.
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a flower made from non-natural materials' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'artificial' (man-made or imitation) with 'flower' (a plant blossom). This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase following common patterns across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Artificial flower comes from the old habit of making a flower out of cloth, paper, or plastic so it looks like a real one. Because these things are made, not grown, the name now means a 'flower' that is 'not alive' and does not wilt.