Touch-me-not (Noun)
Meaning 1
Mediterranean vine having oblong fruit that when ripe expels its seeds and juice violently when touched.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The children loved playing with the touch-me-not vine, watching in delight as its seeds burst out with a slight touch.
- As the touch-me-not vine ripened in the garden, the owner had to carefully avoid accidental explosions of seeds.
- Touch-me-not vines are common in Mediterranean landscapes, with their vibrant flowers and exploding fruit adding a whimsical touch.
- One gardener's hack for dispersing the seeds of the touch-me-not vine involved slightly touching it with a stick to minimize the splashing of its juice.
- In nature lessons, the touch-me-not vine was shown as an example of unique seed dispersal methods, with its violent ejection when mature.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Prostrate or semi-erect subshrub of tropical America, and Australia; heavily armed with recurved thorns and having sensitive soft grey-green leaflets that fold and droop at night or when touched or cooled.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
North American annual plant with usually yellow or orange flowers; grows chiefly on wet rather acid soil.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The delicate touch-me-not flowers dotted the wet meadow, their yellow petals glistening with dew.
- The hikers carefully made their way around the patch of touch-me-nots, not wanting to disturb the sensitive plants.
- In the swampy areas of the forest, touch-me-nots grew in abundance, their brightly colored flowers a stark contrast to the dull surroundings.
- The gardener planted touch-me-not seeds in the wet acidic soil, hoping to attract more birdlife to the area.
- As the child reached out to touch the flower, her mother cautioned her not to, explaining the plant's nickname, touch-me-not, was well-deserved.