smooth sumac
- noun
- /smuːð ˈsuːmæk/
- US
:
sumaque liso
- Look at that smooth sumac over there!
Examples
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The smooth sumac is easily identified by its bright red autumn foliage and clusters of red berries.
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Landscapers value smooth sumac for its ability to control soil erosion on slopes.
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Wildlife often feed on the fruit of the smooth sumac during winter months.
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Wow! The smooth sumac is stunning in the fall!
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While hiking in the woods, I spotted a bush of smooth sumac with vibrant red berries and glossy leaves.
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The garden was filled with native plants, including smooth sumac, which added beautiful color in late summer.
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In eastern North America, smooth sumac is known for its attractive foliage and clusters of bright red fruits.
Synonyms
A shrub from eastern North America with red berries and leaves that turn bright red in fall
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: if a learner knows 'sumac' (a shrub) and 'smooth' (even, not rough), they can infer 'smooth sumac' is a type of sumac characterized by smooth features (e.g., leaves or bark). The pattern is a common descriptive naming strategy cross-linguistically, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Smooth sumac is named for how the plant looks: the word smooth points to its hairless stems and leaves, and sumac comes from an old word for plants with bright 'red' berries. So the name helps you remember the shrub by its smooth parts and red fruit.
