| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| flower |
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| SYLLABICATION: | flow·er |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  flou  r |
| NOUN: | 1a. The reproductive structure of some seed-bearing plants, characteristically having either specialized male or female organs or both male and female organs, such as stamens and a pistil, enclosed in an outer envelope of petals and sepals. b. Such a structure having showy or colorful parts; a blossom. 2. A plant that is cultivated or appreciated for its blossoms. 3. The condition or a time of having developed flowers: The azaleas were in full flower. 4. Something, such as an ornament or a figure of speech, that resembles a flower in shape, fineness, or attractiveness. 5. The period of highest development; the peak. See synonyms at bloom1. 6. The highest example or best representative: the flower of our generation. 7. A natural development or outgrowth: “His attitude was simply a flower of his general good nature” (Henry James). 8. flowers Chemistry A fine powder produced by condensation or sublimation of a compound. | | VERB: | Inflected forms: flow·ered, flow·er·ing, flow·ers
| | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To produce a flower or flowers; blossom. 2. To develop naturally or fully; mature: His artistic talents flowered early. | | TRANSITIVE VERB: | To decorate with flowers or with a floral pattern. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English flour, from Old French flor, from Latin fl s, flr-. See bhel-3 in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | flower·er —NOUN
flower·less —ADJECTIVE
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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