mountain rice
- noun
- US
:
arroz de montaña
- The drought-resistant qualities of mountain rice make it valuable for ranchers in dry regions.
Examples
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Cattle graze on mountain rice in the arid plains during the summer months.
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Researchers studied the growth patterns of mountain rice in its natural habitat.
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Farmers often grow mountain rice in dry upland areas.
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The mountain rice thrives in harsh conditions.
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Cattle graze on mountain rice in the arid plains during the summer months.
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The drought-resistant qualities of mountain rice make it valuable for ranchers in dry regions.
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Researchers studied the growth patterns of mountain rice in its natural habitat.
Synonyms
A grass that grows every year in dry western North America and that farm animals eat
A grass that grows on dry plains and feeds animals like cattle
A tough grass that grows on dry land and feeds cattle
A long-lived grass like wild rice that grows in North America and is eaten by animals
A grass with seeds like small grains that grows in dry places in North America
A grass that lives for many years and grows on rocky Mediterranean slopes and in parts of North America
A grass that lives many years and grows on Mediterranean hills
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'mountain' and 'rice' would reasonably infer a type of rice associated with mountains or upland areas, so there is a clear compositional cue. However, the listed referent is a specific forage grass (not the common edible rice), which is a specialized, non-obvious meaning that learners cannot fully predict without exposure. Because the compound signals location/association but conceals a language-specific taxonomic/function shift, it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Mountain rice may come from the plant's look: its little seeds look like grains of rice and it often grows on high, dry land or mountains. That's why the name now refers to a grass people use as 'food for animals' in dry upland areas.
