kudzu vine
1
8.9
- noun
- /ˈkʌdzuː vaɪn/
- US
:
vid de kudzu
- Many are comparing Arundo, which can reach heights of 30 feet in a single season, to another aggressive Asian transplant—the voracious kudzu vine.
Examples
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You'll climb the rich, thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower.
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Then all she can see behind her is a tunnel of kudzu vines unfolding as she speeds along, the radio blaring loudly for company.
Fiction book (1990) -
The car lights swing across the road, flashing into the bank of kudzu vines and then down a muddy passage sloping off into the woods and down to the river.
Fiction book (1990) -
It, along with a good number of abandoned cottages, became overgrown with kudzu vine and inhabited by squirrels and various kinds of rodents.
Fiction book (1991) -
The farmers planted kudzu vines to improve soil quality and prevent erosion in their fields.
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During the summer, kudzu vines grow rapidly, covering fences and trees in a thick blanket of greenery.
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In the southern United States, kudzu vines are often seen climbing over abandoned buildings and power lines.
Synonyms
8
8.8
A fast-growing vine from East Asia that covers plants and buildings
A fast growing vine from eastern Asia called kudzu that spreads and covers other plants
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'kudzu vine' is a straightforward noun–noun combination: 'kudzu' names a particular plant and 'vine' denotes a climbing plant, so the compound simply refers to that type of vine. This is a compositional, referential label that a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily understand.
Etymology
Kudzu vine comes from Asia, where people used the plant's roots to make starch and later planted it in the United States to stop soil from washing away; it grew so fast that it could cover trees, houses, and fields. That's why kudzu vine suggests a very fast plant that 'takes over' other plants and buildings.