sea aster
- noun
- UK
- The sea aster is often found blossoming along coastal salt marshes in late summer.
Examples
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Walking by the estuary, we spotted several sea asters with their pale lilac flowers.
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Some conservation projects aim to protect wild habitats where sea aster thrives.
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The sea aster blooms beautifully in late summer.
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Many sea asters can be found along the coast.
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The sea aster is often found blossoming along coastal salt marshes in late summer.
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Some conservation projects aim to protect wild habitats where sea aster thrives.
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Walking by the estuary, we spotted several sea asters with their pale lilac flowers.
Synonyms
A plant with flowers that grows in salt marshes by the sea
A common European plant like a daisy that grows in salt marshes
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a flowering aster that grows in coastal/salt‑marsh areas' is directly and compositionally derived from 'sea' (coastal saltwater) + 'aster' (a type of flower), indicating location/association. Noun–noun compounding of this kind is a common, predictable pattern cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Sea aster is the name for a flower found near the sea. Sea shows where it grows and aster comes from a word meaning 'star' because the flower's petals look like a tiny star, so the name helps you remember it is a star-shaped flower by the sea.