English Explanatory Dictionary

buttercup

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of many herbs, of the genus Ranunculus, having yellow flowers; the crowfoot.
  2. Any flower of the genus Narcissus; a daffodil.
  3. Ellipsis of buttercup squash.
  4. Affectionate or ironic term of address.

Pronunciation

/ˈbʌt.ə.kʌp/ /ˈbʌt.ɚ.kʌp/ en-us-buttercup.ogg

Word forms

buttercup buttercups

Etymology

From butter + cup. Both sense 1 and 2 are from the flowers' association with butter, from their yellow colour. Compare butterflower for a similar derivation; outside of English, compare Dutch boterbloem, German Butterblume.

Synonyms

ranunculus crowfoot

Derived words

Bermuda buttercup bulbous buttercup buttercup anemone buttercuplike buttercupped buttercup squash buttercup tree California buttercup creeping buttercup glacier buttercup goldilocks buttercup Greenland buttercup wood buttercup
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