silky willow
1
8.1
- noun
- /ˈsɪlki ˈwɪloʊ/
- US
- Some of the shrubs are black chokeberry, blue huckleberry, silky willow, swamp azalea, and sweet gale.
Examples
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Having studied Felt's book, I noticed galls: oak bullet galls, then on silky willows, pineapple, beaked, and potato galls.
Fiction book (2000) -
In the botanical garden, the silky willow stands out among the various native plant species.
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The silky willow is known for its soft, elongated leaves that shimmer in the sunlight.
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During the spring, the silky willow tree blooms with beautiful, delicate foliage.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A North American willow with silky grey leaves that turn black when dried
1
9.9
A North American white willow with pale silky leaves that turn black when dry
A North American tree with soft grey leaves that turn dark when dry
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase denotes a willow tree characterized by silky (soft, smooth) leaves, which is directly and transparently derived from the adjective + noun combination 'silky' + 'willow'. This straightforward descriptive composition follows common cross-linguistic adjective-noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Silky willow is a simple name for a kind of tree with very soft, silky leaves. People called it silky because the leaf hairs feel like 'silk', and willow is the tree, so the name points to a willow with 'silky' leaves.