mother of thyme
- noun
:
madre de tomillo
- The small violet-and-white flowers of mother of thyme attract butterflies and bees in the summer.
Examples
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Mother of thyme is often used as a ground cover in rock gardens due to its fragrant foliage.
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Gardeners appreciate how drought-tolerant mother of thyme is compared to other mints.
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I found some mother of thyme in the garden.
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Have you seen the mother of thyme plant?
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Mother of thyme is commonly grown in gardens for its aromatic leaves and beautiful flowers.
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Many people enjoy the scent of mother of thyme, which often fills the air during summer.
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The clusters of violet-and-white flowers on mother of thyme make it a popular choice for pollinator gardens.
Synonyms
1
6.1
A small plant with purple flowers that smells nice and is used in cooking
A low, spreading plant with a strong smell used to cover ground and for cooking or medicine
A low, spreading plant with small purple flowers and a pleasant smell used as ground cover
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'mother' and 'thyme' make it clear that the phrase refers to something related to the thyme plant, so a B1 learner who knows those words would likely infer it denotes a type or variety of thyme (i.e., a plant). However, the specific species identity and the conventional use of 'mother of thyme' as a particular common name (often hyphenated) are not fully predictable from the parts alone, so precise meaning requires prior exposure.
Etymology
Mother of thyme may come from the way low, spreading thyme grows like a caring mother that makes a thick, fragrant blanket over the ground, so people called it a 'mother'. That's why today the name means this small, spreading, fragrant plant.