Definition of 'cornflower'
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cornflower in British English
noun
a Eurasian herbaceous plant, Centaurea cyanus, with blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, formerly a common weed in cornfields: family Asteraceae ( composites)
Also called: bluebottle. See also bachelor's-buttonsCollins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
cornflower in American English
cornflower in American English
(ˈkɔrnˌflauər)
noun
1. Also called: bachelor's-button, bluebottle
a European composite plant, Centaurea cyanus, growing in grainfields, having blue to white flower heads, often cultivated as an ornamental
3. See corn cockle
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1570–80; corn1 + flower]Examples of 'cornflower' in a sentence
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Which flower am I?
a Eurasian solanaceous plant, Mandragora officinarum, with purplish flowers and a forked root. It was formerly thought to have magic powers and a narcotic was prepared from its root
Which flower am I?
any caryophyllaceous plant of the mainly Eurasian genus Gypsophila, such as baby's-breath, having small white or pink flowers
Which flower am I?
any plant of the chiefly North American genus Ambrosia, such as A. artemisiifolia (common ragweed): family Asteraceae (composites). Their green tassel-like flowers produce large amounts of pollen, which causes hay fever
Which flower am I?
an umbelliferous plant, Crithmum maritimum, of Eurasian coasts, having fleshy divided leaves and clusters of small greenish-white flowers
Which flower am I?
any of various aquatic plants of the genus Nymphaea and related genera, of temperate and tropical regions, having large leaves and showy flowers that float on the surface of the water: family Nymphaeaceae
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Definition of cornflower from the Collins English Dictionary
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