smooth alder

8.4

A shrub with smooth bark that grows in wet places

noun

: aliso liso

The smooth alder thrives in moist woodlands and along the banks of streams.

Examples

In early spring, the smooth alder produces small clusters of reddish catkins.
Wildlife often seek shelter among the dense branches of the smooth alder.
The smooth alder thrives near rivers.
Many smooth alders grow in wetland areas.
In early spring, the smooth alder produces small clusters of reddish catkins.
The smooth alder thrives in moist woodlands and along the banks of streams.
Wildlife often seek shelter among the dense branches of the smooth alder.

Synonyms

alder

vssmooth alder

4 5.5

A tree with toothed leaves that often grows near rivers and wet ground

is a specific eastern shrub with smooth bark found in wetlands

alder tree

vssmooth alder

1 4.1

A tree with toothed leaves that often grows by rivers and has wood that resists rot

is narrower and names a particular eastern wetland shrub with smooth bark

Alnus serrulata

vssmooth alder

Specialized

9.5

A shrub with smooth bark that grows near streams in the eastern United States

is the common name that highlights wetland habitat and appearance

Surface Forms

smooth alder singular

smooth alders plural

Morphology

smooth + alder

This is a straightforward adjective+noun combination where the meaning ('an alder that is smooth') is directly derived from 'smooth' (having an even surface) modifying 'alder' (the tree). The compositional descriptive pattern (type-of-X) is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Smooth alder is a simple picture name: alder is the type of tree and smooth describes its smooth 'bark'. So smooth alder means a 'shrub' with smooth bark that you often find by streams and in wet woods.