dandelion
UK[ˈdændɪlaɪən]US[ˈdændɪlaɪən]
n
A common wild plant with bright yellow flowers and leaves with deep, tooth-like edges.
n
The flower or leaf of this plant, sometimes used in salads or to make tea.
Morpheme Breakdown
dent
de
lion
dent
tooth
de
of
lion
lion
Etymology
The word 'dandelion' entered English in the early 15th century from the French phrase dent de lion, meaning "lion's tooth". This name is a direct visual metaphor, comparing the deeply toothed, jagged edges of the plant's leaves to the fearsome teeth of a lion. The French term itself was a translation of the Medieval Latin dens leonis, which carried the same imagery. Thus, the modern English word preserves, through its morphemes, a centuries-old descriptive comparison that perfectly captures the plant's most distinctive feature.
Analysis
Structure: dent (tooth) + de (of) + lion (lion)
- dent: From Latin dens, dent- meaning "tooth". Functions as the core semantic root.
- de: A French preposition meaning "of". Functions as a linking element.
- lion: From Old French lion, meaning "lion". Functions as a metaphorical noun.
Examples
The lawn was dotted with bright yellow dandelions.
She made a salad using fresh dandelion leaves.
Children love to blow the white, fluffy seed heads of a dandelion.