indigo broom
- noun
- US
- The fields were dotted with clusters of indigo broom in full bloom.
Examples
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Gardeners in the Southeast often plant indigo broom for its vibrant yellow flowers.
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The indigo broom blooms beautifully in the spring.
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We studied the distribution of indigo broom along the Atlantic coast during our research.
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I saw an indigo broom in the garden yesterday.
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Gardeners in the Southeast often plant indigo broom for its vibrant yellow flowers.
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The fields were dotted with clusters of indigo broom in full bloom.
-
We studied the distribution of indigo broom along the Atlantic coast during our research.
Synonyms
1
7.3
A North American plant with blue, white, or yellow flowers that grows in prairies and open woods
1
9.9
A plant with many branches and bright yellow flowers that grows in eastern North America
1
9.9
A small North American plant with many branches and bright yellow flowers used to make a natural dye
A plant with many branches and bright yellow flowers that grows in eastern North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound follows a transparent noun+noun pattern that signals a type of 'broom' (a shrub), so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer it is a kind of shrub. However, the modifier 'indigo' here refers to a taxonomic/lexical element rather than a predictable color or obvious property, and the specific botanical sense (a yellow-flowering species) is not derivable from the constituents. Because the overall class (a broom shrub) is clear but the precise meaning/use of 'indigo' is not, the expression is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Indigo broom comes from two simple images: broom is a many‑branched shrub that looks like a cleaning brush, and indigo was once a name for some related plants or for dye plants. So the name came to mean this upright, branchy herb with bright yellow flowers.