slender centaury
- noun
- UK
- The fields were dotted with the delicate pink flowers of slender centaury during summer.
Examples
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The slender centaury thrives in sandy soils and open meadows.
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I spotted a slender centaury while hiking in the meadow.
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Botanists identified several specimens of slender centaury along the nature trail.
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The slender centaury blooms beautifully in the spring.
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The slender centaury thrives in sandy soils and open meadows.
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Botanists identified several specimens of slender centaury along the nature trail.
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The fields were dotted with the delicate pink flowers of slender centaury during summer.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A small plant with pink or blue flowers often used in herbal medicine
A small European herb with smooth stems and tiny pink flowers
A small European plant that lives for one year with clusters of bright pink flowers
A group of low-growing plants with flowers that have long twisted parts holding pollen
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'slender' (thin) modifies 'centaury' (a small plant), so the meaning 'a thin/slender species of centaury' is directly derivable from the constituents. This descriptive pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English modifier-noun composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.
Etymology
Slender centaury combines slender (thin) and centaury, a name one old story says comes from Chiron the centaur, who used the plant as a 'medicine'. This image of a thin, healing plant helps explain why the name refers to the small pink-flowered herb found in meadows.