foetid pothos
- noun
- /ˈfoʊtɪd ˈpɑːθoʊs/
- Archaic
:
pothos fétido
- The foetid pothos is easily identified by its foul smell in the spring.
Examples
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We spotted a rare foetid pothos blooming near the edge of the swamp.
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Botanists studied the wetland habitat favored by the foetid pothos.
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The foetid pothos thrives in swampy areas.
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Have you ever seen a foetid pothos up close?
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The foetid pothos emits a strong unpleasant odor, making it easy to find in the swamp.
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In the wetlands, the distinct smell of the foetid pothos often attracts curious botanists.
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During our hike, the foetid pothos was one of the first plants we noticed due to its foul scent.
Synonyms
1
8.9
A low plant with a strong bad smell that grows in wet places
A low swamp plant with a strong bad smell and a small flower inside a green or purple cover
A small swamp plant with a bad smell and tiny flowers under a spotted green or purple hood
How Smelly
Surface Forms
Morphology
foetid + pothos
This is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'foetid' means foul-smelling and 'pothos' is a plant name, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it as a plant that smells unpleasant. The core meaning is fully compositional (a smelly pothos), even if specialist botanical details in the dictionary definition are additional, non-essential information.
Etymology
Foetid pothos names a swamp plant known for a very bad smell. People called it foetid, meaning very smelly, and pothos for the plant because its flowers smell rotten to attract flies, so the name tells you it has a 'strong unpleasant odor'.