hemp nettle
- noun
- /hɛmp ˈnɛtəl/
- UK
:
ortiga de cáñamo
- Some species of hemp nettle have small, purplish flowers and hairy stems.
Examples
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The field was overrun with hemp nettle and other stubborn weeds.
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Farmers often struggle to control hemp nettle because it spreads so easily.
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The hemp nettle grows abundantly in the fields.
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Many gardeners consider hemp nettles a nuisance.
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Farmers often struggle to control hemp nettle because it spreads so easily.
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Many gardeners consider hemp nettle a nuisance due to its invasive growth.
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The field was overrun with hemp nettle, making it difficult for crops to thrive.
Synonyms
A rough, bristly plant with white or reddish flowers and leaves like a nettle that often grows as a weed
A European herb like a nettle in the mint family
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound denotes a plant and its meaning is directly built from the constituents: 'hemp' + 'nettle' signals a nettle-like (and hemp-resembling) plant or weed. A B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer it refers to a coarse, bristly plant, even if they cannot identify the exact botanical species.
Etymology
Hemp nettle got its name because people thought its rough, hairy stems and leaves looked like hemp and like a nettle, even though it does not 'sting'. So the name stayed, and hemp nettle now means a coarse, bristly 'weed' that spreads easily.
