snow-on-the-mountain

American  

[snoh-on-thuh-moun-tn, -awn-] / ˈsnoʊ ɒn ðəˈmaʊn tn, -ɔn- /

noun

1. a spurge, Euphorbia marginata, of the western U.S., having leaves with white margins and white petallike bracts.

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snow-on-the-mountain British  

noun

1. a North American euphorbiaceous plant, Euphorbia marginata, having white-edged leaves and showy white bracts surrounding small flowers

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Etymology

Origin of snow-on-the-mountain

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snow-on-the-mountain

The wild flowers disappeared, and only in the bottom of the draws and gullies grew a few of the very toughest and hardiest: shoestring, and ironweed, and snow-on-the-mountain.

From O Pioneers! by Cather, Willa Sibert

The pasture was flooded with light; every clump of ironweed and snow-on-the-mountain threw a long shadow, and the golden light seemed to be rippling through the curly grass like the tide racing in.

From O Pioneers! by Cather, Willa Sibert

In the neighbourhood of Torquay, fir-cones are designated oysters, and in Sussex the Arabis is called "snow-on-the-mountain," and "snow-in-summer."

From The Folk-lore of Plants by Dyer, T. F. Thiselton (Thomas Firminger Thiselton)