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Glite Dictionary
cushion flower

cushion flower

9.9
A tall shrub from Western Australia with large round red and yellow flowers
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : flor cojín
  • The cushion flower brightens the dry landscapes of Western Australia every spring.

Examples

  • A cluster of cushion flowers stood out amid the native shrubs on the hillside.

  • The cushion flowers attract many pollinators.

  • Gardeners appreciate the unusual color combination of the cushion flower.

  • Look at that cushion flower!

  • A cluster of cushion flowers stood out amid the native shrubs on the hillside.

  • The cushion flower brightens the dry landscapes of Western Australia every spring.

  • Gardeners appreciate the unusual color combination of the cushion flower.

Synonyms

pincushion hakea
vscushion flower
  • Australian
9.9

A tall bush from Western Australia with round red and yellow flowers

gives the same shrub but calls the flowers round rather than globular
Hakea laurina
vscushion flower
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall bush from Western Australia with large round red and yellow flowers

gives identical traits but describes flowers as round rather than globular

Surface Forms

cushion flower singular
cushion flowers plural

Morphology

cushion + flower

The compound is a straightforward modifier+head construction: 'cushion' describes a property of the 'flower', so a flower that is cushion-like or has a cushion form. This compositional relation is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows 'cushion' and 'flower' can infer the basic meaning even if they lack botanical detail.

Etymology

Cushion flower comes from the plant's round flower heads that look like a soft cushion or little pillow made of bright flowers. So, the name refers to the Western Australian shrub with large, round red-and-yellow blooms.