Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
Codariocalyx motorius, a tropical Asian shrub, one of the few plants capable of rapid movement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: semaphore plant
Antonyms: none provided
noun
erect tropical Asian shrub whose small lateral leaflets rotate on their axes and jerk up and down under the influence of sunshine
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: semaphore plant, Codariocalyx motorius, Desmodium motorium, Desmodium gyrans
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shrub, bush
History
So called because the jerking motions of the leaves are thought to resemble signalling.
