giant red paintbrush

8.8

A wildflower of western North America with ragged clusters of bright red flowers

noun

: pincel rojo gigante

The meadow was dotted with blooming giant red paintbrushes in early summer.

Examples

We spotted a giant red paintbrush growing beside the hiking trail.
The giant red paintbrush blooms in the spring.
Many photographers are drawn to the vibrant hues of the giant red paintbrush.
Have you seen a giant red paintbrush before?
The meadow was dotted with blooming giant red paintbrushes in early summer.
Many photographers are drawn to the vibrant hues of the giant red paintbrush.
We spotted a giant red paintbrush growing beside the hiking trail.

Synonyms

Castilleja miniata

vsgiant red paintbrush

Specialized

9.9

A wildflower with bright red, ragged flower clusters that grows in western North America

is the common everyday name for the same wildflower

Surface Forms

giant red paintbrush singular

giant red paintbrushes plural

Morphology

giant + red + paintbrush

The components 'giant' + 'red' + 'paintbrush' transparently suggest a large, red object resembling a paintbrush, so learners would likely infer size, color, and shape. However, the phrase is a lexicalized plant name (a wildflower) and that specific referent (a flower species) is not fully predictable from the constituents without exposure, so the expression is only partly transparent.

Etymology

Giant red paintbrush gets its name because the bright red flower clusters look like a large paintbrush dipped in paint, and the word giant shows it is a big one. That's why the name refers to a 'wildflower' with big red blooms.