- compass plant
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any of various plants having leaves that tend to lie in a plane at right angles to the strongest light, hence usually north and south, esp. Silphium laciniatum.[1840-50]
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Universalium. 2010.
compass plant
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Compass plant — Compass Com pass (k[u^]m pas), n. [F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com + passus pace, step. See {Pace}, {Pass}.] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [1913 Webster] They fetched a compass of seven day s … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
compass plant — ☆ compass plant n. 1. a coarse plant (Silphium laciniatum) of the composite family, with large, bristly leaves and heads of yellow flowers, found on the prairies of central U.S.: the leaves reputedly point in a north and south direction 2. any of … English World dictionary
compass plant — noun 1. North American annual with red or rose colored flowers • Syn: ↑prairie bird s foot trefoil, ↑prairie lotus, ↑prairie trefoil, ↑Lotus americanus • Hypernyms: ↑subshrub, ↑suffrutex 2 … Useful english dictionary
compass plant — com′pass plant n. pln an American prairie composite plant, Silphium laciniatum, with yellow flower heads and large, hairy leaves that tend to lie in a north south plane • Etymology: 1840–50 … From formal English to slang
compass plant — noun Date: 1848 a yellow flowered composite plant (Silphium laciniatum) that has large pinnatifid leaves in which the leaf edges typically align in a northerly and southerly direction and that occurs especially in prairies and along roadsides of… … New Collegiate Dictionary
compass plant — /ˈkʌmpəs plænt/ (say kumpuhs plant) noun any of various plants whose leaves tend to lie in a plane at right angles to the strongest light, hence usually north and south, especially Lactuca serriola; prickly lettuce …
Compass — Com pass (k[u^]m pas), n. [F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com + passus pace, step. See {Pace}, {Pass}.] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [1913 Webster] They fetched a compass of seven day s journey … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Compass card — Compass Com pass (k[u^]m pas), n. [F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com + passus pace, step. See {Pace}, {Pass}.] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [1913 Webster] They fetched a compass of seven day s … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Compass dial — Compass Com pass (k[u^]m pas), n. [F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com + passus pace, step. See {Pace}, {Pass}.] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [1913 Webster] They fetched a compass of seven day s … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Compass flower — Compass Com pass (k[u^]m pas), n. [F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com + passus pace, step. See {Pace}, {Pass}.] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [1913 Webster] They fetched a compass of seven day s … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
