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Glite Dictionary
fan fern

fan fern

8.9
A large plant that grows in Australia and New Zealand with fan-shaped leaves that split many times
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : helecho abanico
  • We found a large patch of fan fern along the hiking trail in New Zealand.

Examples

  • The distinctive fronds of the fan fern make it easy to identify among other plants.

  • The fan fern thrives in humid environments.

  • The fan fern is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens.

  • I have a beautiful fan fern in my garden.

  • The fan fern is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens.

  • The distinctive fronds of the fan fern make it easy to identify among other plants.

  • We found a large patch of fan fern along the hiking trail in New Zealand.

Synonyms

Gleichenia flabellata
vsfan fern
  • Australian
9.9

A large fern from Australia and nearby islands with fan-shaped leaves that fork many times

is the common name rather than the formal binomial
Sticherus flabellatus
vsfan fern
  • Australian
9.9

A large fern with fan-shaped leaves that split many times and grows in eastern Australia

is the common name used instead of that scientific label
umbrella fern
vsfan fern
  • Australian
9.9

A large plant with fan-shaped leaves that fork many times

is the common name that suggests a flat spreading frond rather than a rounded canopy

Surface Forms

fan fern singular
fan ferns plural

Morphology

fanned + fern

The meaning is compositionally transparent: 'fanned' (arranged in a fan-like shape) combined with 'fern' (a type of plant) yields a fern with fan-shaped fronds. This descriptive, botanical naming pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Fan fern comes from the plant's fronds that spread out like a hand-held fan, giving a strong picture of its shape. That's why the words fan and fern together mean 'a fern with fan-shaped fronds'.