SENSITIVE PLANT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does sensitive plant mean? 

• SENSITIVE PLANT (noun)
  The noun SENSITIVE PLANT has 2 senses:

1. 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

2. semi-climbing prickly evergreen shrub of tropical America having compound leaves sensitive to light and touch

  Familiarity information: SENSITIVE PLANT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SENSITIVE PLANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

action plant; humble plant; live-and-die; Mimosa pudica; sensitive plant; shame plant; touch-me-not

Hypernyms ("sensitive plant" is a kind of...):

mimosa (any of various tropical shrubs or trees of the genus Mimosa having usually yellow flowers and compound leaves)

Holonyms ("sensitive plant" is a member of...):

genus Mimosa (genus of spiny woody shrubs or trees; named for their apparent imitation of animal sensitivity to light and heat and movement)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Semi-climbing prickly evergreen shrub of tropical America having compound leaves sensitive to light and touch

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Mimosa sensitiva; sensitive plant

Hypernyms ("sensitive plant" is a kind of...):

mimosa (any of various tropical shrubs or trees of the genus Mimosa having usually yellow flowers and compound leaves)

Holonyms ("sensitive plant" is a member of...):

genus Mimosa (genus of spiny woody shrubs or trees; named for their apparent imitation of animal sensitivity to light and heat and movement)