nickel nurser
- noun
- /ˈnɪkəl ˈnɜːrsər/
- The nickel nurser specializes in rare plant species.
Examples
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Becoming a nickel nurser requires patience and a love of unique plants.
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Every nickel nurser knows the importance of proper care in the early stages of growth.
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As a nickel nurser, she always made sure the rare seedlings were well protected.
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Many nickel nursers attend the annual plant show.
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As a nickel nurser, she always made sure the rare seedlings were well protected.
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Becoming a nickel nurser requires patience and a love of unique plants.
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Every nickel nurser knows the importance of proper care in the early stages of growth.
Synonyms
68
2.6
A person who raises plants or crops to sell
2
4.1
A person who grows crops, often as a job
2
2.3
A person who puts seeds or young trees into the ground for crops
1
4.0
A person who prepares and looks after land to grow crops or plants
1
7.4
A man who grows and cares for plants to sell
1
8.8
A person who is good at growing and caring for plants
1
6.0
A person who grows plants or crops on land
1
7.5
A woman who grows and sells young plants like trees and flowers
A person who grows and cares for young plants for sale
How Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'person who grows young plants, especially of uncommon or rare species' is not transparently built from 'nickel' (a metal or coin) and 'nurser' (one who raises seedlings). There is no clear compositional relation—'nickel' does not indicate rarity, specialization, or horticultural practice—so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not predict this sense. The compound appears idiomatic or nonce, making its meaning unpredictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Nickel nurser may come from a simple picture: a nurser carefully holding tiny seedlings no bigger than a nickel coin. That's why it means 'a person who grows young, uncommon plants'.