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woolly daisy

woolly daisy

9.8
A small plant that lives for one year with soft grey leaves and small yellow flower heads
  • noun
  • /ˈwʊli ˈdeɪzi/
  • US
translation icon : margarita lanosa
  • The woolly daisy thrives in the dry, sandy soils of the American Southwest.

Examples

  • We spotted several patches of woolly daisy along the desert trail.

  • Botanists sometimes debate whether to classify the woolly daisy in the genus Eriophyllum.

  • The woolly daisy blooms in the spring.

  • Many woolly daisies grow in the desert.

  • The woolly daisy thrives in the dry, sandy soils of the American Southwest.

  • We spotted several patches of woolly daisy along the desert trail.

  • The woolly daisy blooms in the spring.

Synonyms

daisy
vswoolly daisy
80 1.0

A small white flower with a yellow centre that grows in grass

is a specific woolly annual not the whole family of such flowers
Eriophyllum wallacei
vswoolly daisy
  • Specialized
9.9

A small gray plant with soft hairy leaves and small golden-yellow flowers that grows in dry places

is the general plant description rather than the specific species label
Antheropeas wallacei
vswoolly daisy
  • Specialized
9.9

A tiny grey woolly annual plant with small golden yellow flowers from the Mojave Desert

is the broader southwestern plant description not limited to one tiny regional taxon
dwarf daisy
vswoolly daisy
  • Specialized
7.5

A small plant with soft, hairy leaves and tiny yellow flowers that lives for one year

is the general plant term rather than this specific variant
woolly sunflower
vswoolly daisy
  • US
8.2

A plant with yellow daisy-like flowers and soft hairy leaves

is a single species description rather than a genus-wide label

Surface Forms

woolly daisy singular

Morphology

woolly + daisy

This is a straightforward adjective + noun where 'woolly' describes the daisy's wool-like/fuzzy appearance, so the meaning 'a daisy with woolly (hairy or grey) leaves or stems' is directly derivable from the parts. The compositional pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.

Etymology

Woolly daisy The name woolly daisy comes from the plant's look: it has soft, grey, woolly leaves and small yellow flowers like a daisy. So the name means 'a small plant with woolly leaves and daisy-like flowers'.