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Glite Dictionary
brown bells

brown bells

9.9
A small wild plant in California with brownish bell-shaped flowers
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : campanas marrones
  • The brown bells added a subtle splash of color to the hillside in spring.

Examples

  • The brown bells bloom in early spring.

  • She identified several wildflowers, including the brown bells, during her hike.

  • Gardeners appreciate brown bells for their unusual and delicate blooms.

  • Look at those brown bells!

  • Gardeners appreciate brown bells for their unusual and delicate blooms.

  • During her hike, she spotted wildflowers, including the lovely brown bells.

  • The brown bells in my garden flower beautifully and attract many bees.

Synonyms

Fritillaria parviflora
vsbrown bells
  • Specialized
9.9

A small California plant that has brownish purple or greenish bell-shaped flowers in the lily family

is a general description without explicit family classification
Fritillaria micrantha
vsbrown bells
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wildflower from California with bell-shaped purple or green flowers

focuses on a simple herb description without naming genus or nativity

Surface Forms

brown bells singular
brown bells plural

Morphology

brown + bell

The phrase describes something characterized by the color 'brown' and a 'bell' (bell-shaped) form, so the overall meaning as brown, bell-shaped flowers or structures is directly inferable from the constituents. Adjective + noun composition of color + shape is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows 'brown' and 'bell' would readily understand this referential meaning.

Etymology

Brown bells is the name of a California 'herb' with small, bell-shaped flowers. The word brown shows their color and bells shows their shape, so the name means that plant today.