gillyflower

See also: gilly-flower

English

Alternative forms

• gilliflower, gilli-flower, gilly-flower, July-flower, gilliver, gilloflower

Etymology

By folk etymology (with influence from flower) from French girofle, gilofre, from Late Latin caryophyllum, from Ancient Greek καρυόφυλλον (karuóphullon, “dried flower buds of the clove tree”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɪl.ɪˌflaʊə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɪl.iˌflaʊɚ/, /ˈɡɪl.iˌflaʊɚ/

Noun

gillyflower (plural gillyflowers)

1. Clove pink.
   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 102:

     A compound of galanga, cubebs, sparrow wort, cardamoms, nutmeg, gillyflowers, Indian thistle, laurel seeds, cloves, Persian pepper is made into a drink. Taken twice daily morning and night, in pigeon or fowl broth, preceded and followed by eater. The result, according to Arab tradition, is an effective aphrodisiac.

2. (by extension) Any clove-scented flower.
3. Any of several species of wallflower.
4. A variety of purplish-red apple with a roundish conical shape and a large core.
5. (heraldry) A stylized representation of a carnation blossom, usually red, and shown with or without a slip and leaves.

Synonyms

• (carnation): carnation, pink

Derived terms

• clove gillyflower
• marsh gillyflower
• Queen's gillyflower
• sea gillyflower
• stock-gillyflower
• wall gillyflower
• water gillyflower
• winter gillyflower

Translations

any clove-scented flower

variety of apple

heraldry: stylized carnation blossom

• Swedish: nejlika (sv) c

Further reading

• gilliflower on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Michael Quinion (2004), “Gillyflower”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.