grass vetchling

9.9

A small European plant that lives for one year with narrow leaves and pink or red flowers

noun

: vicia de los prados

The meadow was dotted with blooming grass vetchling among the wildflowers.

Examples

She pressed a grass vetchling flower between the pages of her field guide.
Botanists observed that grass vetchling thrives in moist, grassy areas across Europe.
The grass vetchling blooms beautifully in spring.
I saw a grass vetchling growing by the path.
The meadow was dotted with blooming grass vetchling among the wildflowers.
Botanists observed that grass vetchling thrives in moist, grassy areas across Europe.
She pressed a grass vetchling flower between the pages of her field guide.

Synonyms

Lathyrus nissolia

vsgrass vetchling

Specialized

9.9

A small European field plant with red flowers that looks like grass

has identical meaning but uses the common English name instead

grass vetch

vsgrass vetchling

9.6

A small annual plant with red flowers like peas that grows in grassy fields

focuses on narrow leaves and usually red or pink flowers

vetchling

vsgrass vetchling

9.9

A small climbing plant with thin stems and pea-like flowers

is a narrow leaved annual without climbing tendrils

Surface Forms

grass vetchling singular

grass vetchlings plural

Morphology

grass + vetchling

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where the head 'vetchling' denotes a small vetch and the modifier 'grass' specifies a grass-associated or grass-like variety; the overall meaning (a kind of vetchling/plant) is directly recoverable from the parts. Such compound formation is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Grass vetchling may come from the image of a small vetch growing in grass, with grass showing the place and vetchling meaning 'little vetch'. That's why the name refers to a small, pea-like plant with pink or red flowers that you often find in meadows.