3
general::
noun ADJ. long, tall | short | thick | slender, thin | flexible, strong | brittle, weak | iris, rose, etc. VERB + STEM break, cut (back/out), prune (back), shorten, trim When the bush has finished flowering, cut back all the stems. STEM + VERB break PREP. on a/the ~ There are several leaves on each stem. PHRASES the base of the stem Cut half an inch off the base of each stem.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary