cotoneaster
UK[kəˌtəʊniˈæstə]US[koʊˌtoʊniˈæstər]
n
A shrub of the rose family, with small glossy leaves and bright red or orange berries, often grown for ornament.
Etymology
The word 'cotoneaster' originates from a 17th-century botanical Latin construction. It was formed by combining the Latin word 'cotoneum', a variant of 'cydōnium' meaning 'quince', with the suffix '-aster', which denotes an incomplete resemblance. The name was chosen because the plant's leaves were thought to resemble those of the quince tree, though the resemblance is imperfect. Thus, the term's literal logic is "a plant that imperfectly resembles a quince," a meaning now largely opaque to modern English speakers who know it only as the name for the ornamental shrub.
Analysis
The word is a modern Latin genus name, adopted directly into English. It is not productively segmented into meaningful English morphemes.
Examples
The garden wall was covered in a sprawling cotoneaster, its branches heavy with red berries.
Cotoneaster is a popular choice for hedges and ground cover due to its hardiness.
Birds often feast on the berries of the cotoneaster throughout the winter months.