common camas
- noun
- US
:
camas común
- Native peoples used to harvest common camas bulbs as an important food source.
Examples
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In late spring, the meadows are covered in the blue blooms of common camas.
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Scientists are studying the ecology of common camas in restored prairies.
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Look at this common camas!
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The common camas blooms beautifully in the spring.
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In late spring, the meadows are covered in the blue blooms of common camas.
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Native peoples used to harvest common camas bulbs as an important food source.
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Scientists are studying the ecology of common camas in restored prairies.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A plant with grass-like leaves and star-shaped blue or white flowers
A plant from western North America with a large edible bulb and tall stems of blue star-shaped flowers
How Common
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase denotes a 'common' (widespread or usual) variety of 'camas' (the native plant), so its meaning is directly and compositionally derived from the adjective + noun combination. This follows a standard, cross-linguistically familiar ADJ+NOUN pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Common camas gets its name from camas, a word used by Native peoples for a wild plant with a large, sweet 'bulb' that they dug up and cooked to eat. So picture blue meadow flowers above a hidden edible bulb to remember it is a wildflower with an edible bulb.