desert willow
- noun
- /ˈdɛzərt ˈwɪloʊ/
- US
:
sauce del desierto
- Beside the winding path, the desert willow flourished, attracting pollinators with its stunning blossoms.
Examples
-
In the arid landscape, the desert willow stood out with its vibrant purple flowers and graceful foliage.
-
The desert willow provides shade and beauty in the dry heat of the southwestern desert.
-
Earl was leaning against a desert willow, arms folded and shaking his head.
Fiction book (1993) -
Blue palo verde grew thick among the desert willow as well, its branches heavy with brown.
Blog text (6)
Synonyms
A small tree with long thin leaves, purple trumpet flowers, and long seed pods that grows in dry areas
A small tree or shrub with trumpet-shaped flowers that grows in dry parts of the southwestern US and northern Mexico
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines the known nouns 'desert' and 'willow' so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a willow-like tree that grows in arid regions. Although botanical detail ('not a true willow') may be unfamiliar, the basic referent (a tree associated with deserts) is directly and predictably derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Desert willow comes from a simple picture: the plant has long, narrow leaves and thin branches like a willow, but it grows in dry land called a desert. It is 'not a true willow', so the name helps you remember a willow-like tree that lives and blooms in dry places.
