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sea poppy

sea poppy

9.0
A small plant with bright yellow flowers that grows on sandy beaches
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : papa de mar
  • The bright yellow flowers of the sea poppy stand out against the grey sand dunes.

Examples

  • Botanists observed that sea poppy populations were increasing along the Atlantic coast.

  • Gardeners sometimes cultivate the sea poppy for its unusual foliage and blooms.

  • The sea poppy blooms beautifully along the coast.

  • Have you seen a sea poppy before?

  • The bright yellow flowers of the sea poppy bloom during the summer on sandy shores.

  • On our beach walk, I noticed the sea poppy, with its vibrant yellow petals, growing near the dunes.

  • The sea poppy is often found along coastal areas, thriving in the sandy soil.

Synonyms

Glaucium flavum
vssea poppy
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant with bright yellow flowers that grows on sandy coasts

is the common name used for that same coastal yellow plant
yellow horned poppy
vssea poppy
  • UK
9.9

A plant with bright yellow flowers and bluish green leaves that grows on sandy seashores

is the general common name for the same plant without varietal label
horned poppy
vssea poppy
9.6

A yellow wild flower that grows on sandy coasts and has horn-shaped seed pods

is the broad common name used for that plant on sandy coasts
horn poppy
vssea poppy
  • UK
9.9

A yellow wild plant with long seed pods that grows on sandy coasts

is the specific common name for that species rather than the genus

Surface Forms

sea poppy singular
sea poppies plural

Morphology

sea + poppy

The compound 'sea poppy' is directly compositional: 'sea' (coast/shore) modifies 'poppy' (a flower), so it denotes a poppy that grows by the sea. This follows a common noun–noun modifier pattern found across languages, making the meaning immediately derivable for a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Sea poppy gets its name from a simple picture: bright yellow flowers that look like poppies growing right by the sea on sandy shores. So sea, where it grows, and poppy, the type of flower, explain the name and why it means 'a poppy-like plant that lives near the sea'.