English Explanatory Dictionary

flower

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A colorful, conspicuous structure associated with angiosperms, frequently scented and attracting various insects, and which may or may not be used for sexual reproduction.
  2. A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens and/or a pistil.
  3. A plant that bears flowers, especially a plant that is small and lacks wood.
  4. The stem of a flowering plant with the blossom or blossoms attached, used for decoration, as a gift, etc.
  5. Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.
  6. The vulva, especially the labia majora.
  7. The best examples or representatives of a group.
  8. The best state of things; the prime.
  9. Flour.
  10. A substance in the form of a powder, especially when condensed from sublimation.
  11. A figure of speech; an ornament of style.
  12. Ornamental type used chiefly for borders around pages, cards, etc.
verb
  1. To put forth blooms.
  2. To decorate with pictures of flowers.
  3. To reach a state of full development or achievement.
  4. To froth; to ferment gently, as new beer.
  5. To come off as flowers by sublimation.
noun
  1. Something that flows, such as a river.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. An unincorporated community in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States.

Pronunciation

/ˈflaʊ̯.əː/ [ˈflaʊ̯.əː] en-uk-flower.ogg /ˈfluː.ɐ/ [ˈfluː.ɐ] /ˈflæʊ̯.əː/ [ˈflæʊ̯.əː] en-au-flower.ogg /ˈflaː.əː/ [ˈflaː.əː] /ˈflaʊ̯.ɚ/ [ˈflaʊ̯.ɚ] ~ [ˈflaʊ̯.ɹ̩] en-us-flower.ogg /ˈflæʊ̯.ɚ/ [ˈflæʊ̯.ɚ] ~ [ˈflæʊ̯.ɹ̩] /ˈflaː.ɚ/ [ˈflaː.ɚ] ~ [ˈflaː.ɹ̩] /ˈflaː(r)/ [ˈflaː(r)] /ˈflɐ.ʋə(r)/ [ˈflɐ.ʋə(r)] /ˈflɐ.wə(r)/ [ˈflɐ.wə(r)] /ˈfləʊə/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-flower2.wav /ˈfloʊɚ/

Word forms

flower flowers flowre flow'r flowering flowered flow-er

Etymology

From Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin flōrem, accusative of flōs, from Proto-Italic *flōs, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Doublet of fleur, flor, flour, bloom, and blossom. Partly displaced native Old English blostma (which is cognate), whence Modern English blossom.

Synonyms

head pseudanthium bloom blossom flower cream prime flourish

Related words

Appendix:Flowers fleur flora floret florid florist floristics inflorescence

Derived words

animal flower arcigera flower moth Bach flower remedy Bach flower therapy ball-flower ball flower balloon flower basketflower bat flower beflower bellflower Bill Gates' flower fly blanketflower blanket flower bone-eating snot flower bone-eating snot flower worm breeches-flower brimstone flower bunchflower burst into flower butter flower cardinal flower carrion flower Chihuahua flower chocolate flower Christmas flower composite flower coneflower cone flower cone-flower corkscrew flower cornflower crowflower crown flower cuckooflower cupflower dayflower Easter flower egg flower soup elderflower electric flower car enflower equinox flower everlasting flower fanflower fennelflower fennel-flower Fine Flower firecracker flower flameflower flamingo flower flannel flower flowerage flower arrangement flower-bearing flower bed flower beetle flower bond flower box flower bug
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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