meadow leek
- noun
- /ˈmɛdoʊ liːk/
- US
:
ajo silvestre
- In spring, meadow leeks are often foraged from forest floors in the eastern United States.
Examples
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Native Americans traditionally used meadow leek both as food and for medicinal purposes.
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The chef added chopped meadow leek to the omelette for extra flavor.
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I found some fresh meadow leek at the farmer's market.
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The meadow leek is a popular ingredient in spring dishes.
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In spring, meadow leek is often foraged from forest floors in the eastern United States.
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Native Americans traditionally used meadow leek both as food and for medicinal purposes.
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The chef added chopped meadow leek to the omelette for extra flavor.
Synonyms
3
9.0
A wild onion with broad leaves and a strong garlic smell
A North American wild onion with broad leaves and a small bulb often called ramps and used as food
A wild onion with white to pink flowers that grows in North American forests
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'meadow leek' is a straightforward noun–noun composition where 'meadow' modifies 'leek', so the meaning (a leek-like plant that grows in meadows) is directly derivable from the constituent words. This is a literal, descriptive plant name following common compounding patterns, making it immediately comprehensible to learners who know both words.
Etymology
The compound noun meadow leek comes from the simple picture of a meadow and a leek: a wild plant like the garden leek that grows in open fields. People who foraged in spring would gather its edible bulb and leaves, so the name came to mean 'wild leek' found in meadows.