stinking iris
- noun
- UK
:
iris hediondo
- Gardeners may avoid planting stinking iris because of the unpleasant smell of its leaves.
Examples
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The stinking iris is often found growing in shaded woodlands in western Europe.
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Despite its name, the stinking iris produces attractive purple flowers in early summer.
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The stinking iris blooms beautifully in spring.
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Many gardeners avoid planting stinking irises due to their odor.
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Many gardeners avoid planting the stinking iris due to the foul smell of its leaves.
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The stinking iris is known for its striking purple flowers that bloom in early summer.
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In some regions, the stinking iris can be found thriving in damp, shaded areas of the garden.
Synonyms
A plant with purple flowers and leaves that smell bad when crushed
A plant with purple flowers and smelly leaves that grows by the Mediterranean
A plant like an iris that has purple flowers and bad-smelling leaves
A garden plant with purple flowers and leaves that smell bad when crushed
A type of iris with purple flowers and leaves that smell bad
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: an adjective 'stinking' (smelly) modifies the noun 'iris' (a flower), so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it refers to an iris that smells bad. This follows a standard adjective+noun pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so no prior idiomatic knowledge is required.
Etymology
Stinking iris is a name that may come from the strong, unpleasant smell of its leaves or roots next to its pretty purple iris flowers. So the word stinking points to the 'bad' 'smell', and the name now means a plant with purple flowers and bad-smelling leaves.
