flower

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.2.1 Homophones 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Quotations 1.4.2 Synonyms 1.4.3 Translations 1.5 Related terms 1.6 Derived terms 1.7 See also 1.8 Anagrams

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English flour (“‘flower, best of anything’”) < Old French flor < Latin accusative flōrem < nominative flōs < Proto-Indo-European base *bhlo- (“‘to blossom, flourish’”), extended form of *bhel- (“‘to thrive, bloom’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈflaʊə/, SAMPA: /flaU@`/
• (US) IPA: /ˈflaʊɚ/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -aʊə(r)

[edit] Homophones

• flour

[edit] Noun

flower (plural flowers)

1. (botany) A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

   1894, H. G. Wells, The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

   You know, Darwin studied their fertilisation, and showed that the whole structure of an ordinary orchid flower was contrived in order that moths might carry the pollen from plant to plant.

2. (vulgar, hypocoristic) The vulva, especially the labia majora.
3. An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.
4. A plant that bears flowers.

   We transplanted the flowers to a larger pot.

5. (usually with in) Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

   The dogwoods are in flower this week.

6. (idiomatic) The best examples or representatives of a group.

   We selected the flower of the applicants.

7. (idiomatic) The best state of things; the prime.

   She was in the flower of her life.

[edit] Synonyms

• (inflorescence that resembles a flower): head, pseudanthium
• (best examples): cream
• (best state of things): prime

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to flower (third-person singular simple present flowers, present participle flowering, simple past and past participle flowered)

1. To put forth blooms.
2. (idiomatic) To reach a state of full development or great achievement.

[edit] Quotations

• 1927-1929 — Mahatma Gandhi, An Autobiography or The Story of my Experiments with Truth, Part III (IX) Simple Life, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai

  It only needed watering to take root, to flower and to fructify, and the watering came in due course.

[edit] Synonyms

• (to put forth blooms): bloom, blossom

[edit] Translations

[edit] Related terms

• fleur
• flora, Flora
• floret
• florid
• florist
• floristics
• inflorescence

[edit] Derived terms

• flowerbed
• flower girl
• flowerpot
• flowery
• passionflower
• sunflower

[edit] See also

• Appendix:Flowers
• Category:Flowers

[edit] Anagrams

• fowler