trout lily
- noun
- /traʊt ˈlɪli/
- US
:
lirio de trucha
- As we hiked through the woods, we marveled at the delicate petals of the trout lily swaying in the breeze.
Examples
-
The trout lily is a beautiful wildflower that adds color to the woodland landscape.
-
Farther on, he saw yellow trout lily, and beyond that, a dense stand of mountain laurel with its perfect white blossoms.
Fiction book (2002) -
In early spring, the forest floor is covered with vibrant yellow flowers of the trout lily.
Synonyms
A small eastern North American lily with yellow flowers and leaves with dark spots
A small North American spring flower with one yellow spotted blossom
A spring wildflower in eastern North America with single yellow flowers spotted with brown or purple
Surface Forms
Morphology
As a noun–noun compound, a B1 learner who knows 'trout' (a fish) and 'lily' (a flower) will reasonably infer that this is a kind of lily (a plant) related in some way to 'trout'. However, the specific relation (e.g., mottled leaves or why the plant is named after the fish) and the precise botanical sense are not predictable from the constituents alone, so the link is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Trout lily is named for its looks: the plant's leaves are spotted like a trout and it has a small hanging yellow lily-like flower. That's why the name helps you remember this forest flower with spotted leaves.
