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Glite Dictionary
winter hardiness

winter hardiness

4.2
Ability of a plant to survive cold winter weather without dying
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪntər ˈhɑrdɪnəs/
  • UK
translation icon : resistencia invernal
  • Understanding a plant's winter hardiness can help you select the right species for your garden.

Examples

  • "Highbush blueberry varieties bred for the northern United States have greater winter hardiness," explains Gene Galletta.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Many gardeners choose plants based on their winter hardiness to ensure they survive harsh conditions.

  • The winter hardiness of the new flower variety allows it to thrive in colder temperatures.

Surface Forms

winter hardiness singular
winter hardinesses plural

Morphology

winter + hardiness

The meaning is directly compositional: combining 'winter' (the cold season) with 'hardiness' (capacity to resist harsh conditions) yields the ability to withstand winter conditions. This noun–noun compound follows a common, cross-linguistically transparent pattern so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The noun winter hardiness comes from the image of a plant that can stand the cold months. Winter means the cold season and hardiness means being tough. Gardeners imagine plants wearing a warm coat or going quiet to 'survive the cold', so winter hardiness means the plant's ability to 'remain healthy' through winter.