sheep sorrel
- noun
- /ʃip ˈsɔrəl/
- You can often find sheep sorrel growing along the edge of country roads.
Examples
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I found some sheep sorrel in the garden.
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The sheep sorrel has a unique flavor.
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After the rain, patches of sheep sorrel appeared across the dry hills.
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The tangy leaves of sheep sorrel are sometimes added to salads or soups.
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In the summer, I love to add fresh sheep sorrel to my salads for its tangy flavor.
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The field was dotted with wild plants, including sheep sorrel that thrived in the dry soil.
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She discovered that sheep sorrel can be used in soups to enhance their acidity.
Synonyms
A small plant with arrow-shaped sour leaves often eaten in salads and growing in dry places
A small plant with sour, arrow-shaped leaves that grows in dry places
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'sorrel' names the sour herb and 'sheep' specifies a variety or association; a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a type of sorrel (likely associated with or found near sheep). This compositional pattern of naming plant varieties is common cross-linguistically, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Sheep sorrel may come from two simple facts: sorrel means 'sour', and sheep shows the plant grew where sheep fed or that sheep ate it. That's why sheep sorrel is the name of a small plant with sour leaves often found in fields.