amaranth
Meanings
- An imaginary flower that does not wither.
- Any of various herbs of the genus Amaranthus.
- The characteristic purplish-red colour of the flowers or leaves of these plants.
- A red to purple azo dye used as a biological stain, and in some countries in cosmetics and as a food colouring. See Amaranth (dye).
- The seed of these plants, used as a cereal.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) Ancient Greek μᾰραίνω (măraínō) Proto-Indo-European *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) Ancient Greek ἀμάραντος (amárantos)der. Latin amarantusder. French amarantebor. ▲ Latin amarantusbor. English amaranth Borrowed from French amarante, or directly from its etymon Latin amarantus (the word ending influenced by plant names derived from Ancient Greek ἄνθος (ánthos, “a bloom, blossom, flower”)), from Ancient Greek ἀμάραντος (amárantos, “eternal, undying, unfading, unwilting; amaranth; everlasting flower”) (modern Greek αμάραντος (amárantos)), from ᾰ̓- (ă-, the alpha privativum, a prefix forming words having a sense opposite to the word or stem to which it is attached) + μαραίνω (maraínō, “to shrivel, wither”) + -τος (-tos, suffix forming adjectives).