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maidenhair

maidenhair

1 9.1
A small fern with thin, delicate leaves that look like hair
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪdənˌhɛr/
translation icon : helecho maidenhair
  • The nursery specializes in tropical plants, including stunning varieties of maidenhair ferns.
  • maidenhair fern
  • maidenhair tree
  • northern maidenhair

Examples

  • Kathryn's Quilt with Maidenhair Panto

    Blog text (33)
  • Maidenhair.

  • "She was painting a watercolor of the light as it dripped through a maidenhair fern in the window.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Likewise, at a glance, he could differentiate maidenhair fern from oak fern or bracken, or lichen from moss.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The maidenhair fern is known for its delicate, lacy fronds that look like hair.

  • In my garden, I planted a maidenhair fern beside the pond to enjoy its graceful appearance.

Synonyms

maidenhair fern
vsmaidenhair
7.8

A plant with thin, fan-shaped leaves that grows in moist shade and is often kept indoors

has identical meaning but appears as a single-word name

Compounds

A delicate fern from Bermuda that grows from creeping roots in shady moist places

A small, delicate fern from Bermuda with thin leaves and stems that spread along the ground

A tropical American fern that people often grow for its broad divided leaves

A tropical fern with thin, easily broken leaves often grown indoors for its pretty look

A tropical fern with thin climbing stems and delicate leaves

A fern with thin, delicate leaves that climbs or trails over rocks and walls

A delicate fern with thin shiny black leaf stalks that grows in wet forests

A North American fern with leaves like a fan that curve back and shiny dark red stems

A tropical fern with delicate fan-shaped leaves often grown for decoration

9.9

A type of fern with delicate, fan-shaped leaves often grown in gardens

Farley maidenhair
  • Specialized
9.9

A small decorative fern with delicate fan-shaped leaves often grown indoors

A North American plant with shiny dark red stems and leaves shaped like five fingers

A low evergreen bush that grows close to the ground with white flowers and rough white seeds

A plant with thin, fan-shaped leaves that grows in moist shade and is often kept indoors

A small fern with divided leaves that often grows on rocks

A Chinese tree with fan-shaped leaves often planted along streets

golden maidenhair
  • Specialized
9.6

A small fern with bright yellow-green leaves that grows close to the ground

A small delicate fern with shiny black stalks and feathery leaves

A delicate fern with thin shiny black leaf stalks and bending leaves that grows in shade near water

Surface Forms

maidenhair singular
maidenhairs plural

Morphology

maidenhair = maiden + hair (transparent) = maiden + hair

The name is a straightforward compound describing hair-like fronds, so learners who know 'maiden' and 'hair' can infer the imagery behind the plant name.

Etymology

Maidenhair comes from the words maiden ('young woman') and hair ('hair'), because the fern's thin, soft leaves look like a young woman's hair. So a maidenhair is a delicate fern with hair-like leaves, and that picture makes the name easy to remember.