Definition

Noun: 1. A poisonous woody evergreen vine: Refers to a specific climbing plant (Gelsemium sempervirens) native to the southeastern United States. It is characterized by its woody stems, evergreen leaves, and fragrant, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers.

Usage Notes

• This is a compound noun that functions as the common name for a specific plant species. It is typically used in botanical, horticultural, or regional descriptive contexts.
• As a proper common name, it is often written with hyphens () or as a single unhyphenated term.
• The name describes key features: "evening" may allude to the fragrance being more noticeable, "trumpet" describes the flower's shape, and "flower" identifies it as a flowering plant.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The evening trumpet flower is known for its sweet fragrance and toxic properties.
  • A fence was covered in the vibrant yellow blooms of the evening trumpet flower.
  • Caution is advised, as all parts of the evening trumpet flower are poisonous.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used precisely to identify this vine and distinguish it from other plants with "trumpet" in their name (e.g., angel's trumpet).
• In formal botanical writing, the scientific name is preferred for clarity.

Variants and Related Words

• Carolina jessamine: Another very common name for the same plant ().
• Yellow jessamine: A variant common name.
• Gelsemium sempervirens: The formal botanical (Latin) name for the species.
• Trumpet flower: A more general term that can refer to various plants with trumpet-shaped blossoms, not specifically this poisonous vine.

Synonyms

• Carolina jessamine
• Yellow jessamine
• (scientific name)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• None directly associated: This is a specific botanical name and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions.

Noun

1. poisonous woody evergreen vine of southeastern United States having fragrant yellow funnel-shaped flowers