scarlet haw
- noun
- US
:
espino escarlata
- Gardeners appreciate the scarlet haw for its showy spring flowers and bright orange-red berries.
Examples
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The scarlet haw is often planted for its attractive orange-red berries in autumn.
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We spotted several birds feeding on the fruit of the scarlet haw during our hike.
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Gardeners appreciate the scarlet haw for its showy spring flowers and resilience.
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The scarlet haw blooms beautifully in the spring.
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Many birds are attracted to the scarlet haws in late autumn.
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The scarlet haw is a popular choice for landscaping due to its ornamental fruit and blossoms.
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During autumn, the fruit of the scarlet haw attracts many birds seeking food.
Synonyms
A small tree or bush from the eastern United States with few thorns, white flower clusters, and bright orange-red berries
Surface Forms
Morphology
The headword is a simple adjective + noun compound: 'scarlet' (a vivid red color) modifies 'haw' (a shrub), so the meaning is directly a haw shrub characterized by scarlet/red features. This adjective–noun compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Scarlet haw comes from a simple picture: scarlet means 'bright red' and haw is an old word for the small red fruit of hawthorn bushes. So the name points to a shrub with bright orange-red berries, which is why we use it for this plant.
