Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A name sometimes given to the hart's-tongue, Phyllitis Scolopendrium. See
Scolopendrium . - noun Any of the eastern species of Erytbronium or dog-tooth violet. The white adder's-tongue is E. albidum.
- noun The fern Ophioglossum vulgatum: so called from the form of its fruiting spike. Also called
adder's-spear . SeeOphioglossum .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A genus of ferns (Ophioglossum), whose seeds are produced on a spike resembling a serpent's tongue.
- noun The yellow dogtooth violet.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun botany Any of a
genus offerns (Ophioglossum), whoseseeds are produced on aspike resembling aserpent 'stongue . - noun botany The
yellow dogtooth violet.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun ferns with fertile spikes shaped like a snake's tongue
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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"Go through a gap in the brush a little way, until you see the cluster of oak where Brianna shot a possum, bear left to a squarish rock with a bunch of adder's-tongue growing over it" The fact that the need for my services as a guide was probably all that kept them from killing me on the spot was, of course, a secondary consideration.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes Gabaldon, Diana 2005
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The flowers are for the most part conspicuous, and in plan like that of the adder's-tongue; but some, like the rushes (Fig. 83, _E_), have small, inconspicuous flowers; and others, like the yams and smilaxes, have flowers of two kinds, male and female.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses Douglas Houghton Campbell
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The fruit of the _Liliaceæ_ may be either a pod, like that of the adder's-tongue, or a berry, like that of asparagus or Solomon's-seal.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses Douglas Houghton Campbell
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The plants of this group agree in their general structure with the adder's-tongue, which is a thoroughly typical representative of the group; but nevertheless, there is much variation among them in the details of structure.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses Douglas Houghton Campbell
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Back in the woods a little patch of harebells grew, and lower down, in a protected hollow, were bleeding-hearts and adder's-tongue, closely guarded by the clasp of their furry silvery leaves.
My beloved South, Mrs. T. P. O 1914
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"Please tell more about them, mother," said Marjorie, coming up with her hands full of yellow, speckled adder's-tongue.
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An enthusiastic botanical collector told me that for years he searched far and near for the adder's-tongue fern, till one day he stumbled upon it in a place over which he had long been in the habit of passing.
Birds in the Bush Bradford Torrey 1877
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But the true country elder-flower ointment contains a little piece of adder's-tongue fern, which is believed to confer magical virtue.
The Life of the Fields Richard Jefferies 1867
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