Definition of 'cornflower'
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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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flowerQuick word challenge
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Which flower am I?
any of several North American plants of the genus Rudbeckia, esp R. hirta, having flower heads of orange-yellow rays and brown-black centres: family Asteraceae (composites)
Which flower am I?
any plant of the verbenaceous genus Verbena, chiefly of tropical and temperate America, having red, white, or purple fragrant flowers: much cultivated as garden plants
Which flower am I?
a primrose, Primula veris, native to temperate regions of the Old World, having fragrant yellow flowers
Which flower am I?
a Eurasian violaceous plant, Viola tricolor, having purple, yellow, and pale mauve spurred flowers
Which flower am I?
any boraginaceous plant of the genus Heliotropium, esp the South American H. arborescens, cultivated for its small fragrant purple flowers
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Definition of cornflower from the Collins English Dictionary
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