old man's beard
- noun
- UK
- Gardeners often admire the delicate flowers of old man’s beard in late spring.
Examples
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Wildlife frequently take shelter among the tangled vines of old man’s beard.
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A thick patch of old man’s beard covered the fence at the edge of the forest.
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The old man's beard covered the fence beautifully.
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Many gardeners love the old man's beard for its delicate flowers.
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In the garden, the vibrant clusters of old man's beard added a charming touch to the fence.
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During the summer, the climbing plant old man's beard attracted many bees and butterflies.
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The old man's beard entwined around the trellis, creating a beautiful display of greenery.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A climbing plant from eastern North America that grows over other plants and has small white flowers
1
9.7
A climbing vine with clusters of small white flowers that grows in eastern North America
1
9.8
A climbing plant that twines around walls and has white fragrant flowers in summer
1
9.9
A climbing plant with many small creamy white flowers that grows over other plants
A strong climbing plant that loses its leaves in winter and has fragrant greenish-white flowers in summer and autumn
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase uses a simple visual metaphor: 'old man' + 'beard' evokes hanging, hairlike growths, so a learner who knows the words can infer it refers to a beard-like plant or lichen. However, the precise botanical sense (a pale greenish-gray lichen or specific species) is not fully predictable from the parts, making the relation only partially transparent.
Etymology
Old man's beard is the name for a climbing plant whose fluffy flower clusters or seed heads hang on the vines and look like a white beard on a fence or wall. One popular story says people used that clear image to name it, so the phrase now means this climbing plant.