blue thistle
1
7.4
- noun
- UK
- Gardeners sometimes remove blue thistle because its sharp leaves can make it unwanted in lawns.
Examples
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The fields were dotted with blue thistle, adding a splash of color among the green grass.
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I spotted a beautiful blue thistle growing by the roadside during our hike.
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The blue thistle is often found in gardens.
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Many people consider the blue thistle a beautiful plant.
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I spotted a beautiful blue thistle growing by the roadside during our hike.
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The fields were dotted with blue thistle, adding a splash of color among the green grass.
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Gardeners sometimes remove blue thistle because its sharp leaves can make it unwanted in lawns.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A plant with prickly leaves and round blue flower heads
1
9.9
A rough prickly plant that has spikes of bright blue flowers
1
9.9
A rough, prickly plant from Europe with bright blue flower spikes
A prickly plant with tall spikes of blue flowers that grows in fields
A rough, prickly European plant with tall spikes of blue flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'blue' describes the color of a 'thistle', so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a thistle with blue flowers. This compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English noun modification, making the meaning immediately derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Blue thistle is a name for a prickly plant with bright blue flowers. The word thistle points to its sharp, spiky leaves and the word blue shows the flower color, so the name gives a clear picture of a plant often called a 'weed'.