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Glite Dictionary
water parsnip

water parsnip

8.7
A plant with white flowers that grows in shallow fresh water
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːtər ˈpɑːrsnɪp/
  • Specialized
translation icon : chiribita
  • Look at that water parsnip!

Examples

  • Botanists collected samples of water parsnip to study its adaptation to aquatic environments.

  • Caution is advised, as water parsnip can easily be confused with the poisonous water hemlock.

  • The water parsnip thrives in marshy areas and along the edges of slow-moving streams.

  • The water parsnip blooms beautifully in the summer.

  • In shallow ponds, the white flowers of water parsnip bloom beautifully during the summer.

  • The wetlands are home to many unique plants, including water parsnip, which thrive in shallow fresh water.

  • While exploring the marsh, we identified water parsnip along the edges of the flowing stream.

Synonyms

Sium suave
vswater parsnip
  • Specialized
9.9

A sturdy water plant with white flowers that grows by ponds and streams

is the same plant but referred to by an alternative name form
greater water parsnip
vswater parsnip
  • UK
9.9

A tall plant with white flower clusters that grows in shallow fresh water

is native instead to northern United States and Asia rather than Europe

Surface Forms

water parsnip singular
water parsnips plural

Morphology

water + parsnip

This is a productive noun+noun compound where the first noun specifies habitat/association (water) and the second names the type (parsnip). If a B1 learner knows 'water' and 'parsnip' (a root vegetable/plant), they can transparently infer it denotes a parsnip-like plant associated with water; the composition follows common, cross-linguistic naming patterns for plants.

Etymology

Water parsnip gets its name from the plant's home and shape: it grows in shallow water (water) and has a long root that looks like a garden parsnip. So the name is a simple picture—a 'parsnip' that lives in water—which helps you remember the plant.