Definitions for flower
ˈflaʊ ərflow·er

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. flowernoun

   a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

2. flower, bloom, blossomnoun

   reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

3. flower, prime, peak, heyday, bloom, blossom, efflorescence, flushverb

   the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

4. bloom, blossom, flowerverb

   produce or yield flowers

   "The cherry tree bloomed"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. FLOWERnoun

   Etymology: fleur, French; flos, flores, Latin.

   1. The part of a plant which contains the seeds.

   Such are reckoned perfect flowers which have petala, a stamen, apex and stylus; and whatever flower wants either of these is reckoned imperfect. Perfect flowers are divided into simple ones, which are not composed of other smaller ones, and which usually have but one single style; and compounded, which consist of many flosculi, all making but one flower. Simple flowers are monopetalous, which have the body of the flower all of one intire leaf, though sometimes cut or divided a little way into many seeming petala, or leaves; as in borage, bugloss, &c. or polypetalous, which have distinct petala, and those falling off singly, and not all together, as the seeming petala of monopetalous flowers always do: but those are further divided into uniform and difform flowers: the former have their right and left hand parts, and the forward and backward parts all alike; but the difform have no such regularity, as in the flowers of sage, deadnettle, &c. A monopetalous difform flower is likewise further divided into, first, semi-fistular, whose upper part resembles a pipe cut off obliquely, as in the arilostochia: 2d, labiate; and this either with one lip only, as in the acanthum and scordium, or w th two lips, as in the far greater part of the labiate flowers: and here the upper lip is sometimes turned upwards, and so turns the convex part downwards, as in the chamæcissus, &c. but most commonly the upper lip is convex above, and turns the hollow part down to its fellow below, and so represents a kind of helmet, or monkshood; and from thence these are frequently called galeate, cucullate, and galericulate flowers; and in this form are the flowers of the lamium, and most verticillate plants. Sometimes also the lamium is intire, and sometimes jagged or divided. 3d, Corniculate; that is, such hollow flowers as have on their upper part a kind of spur, or little horn, as in the linaria, delphinum, &c. and the carniculum, or calcar, is always impervious at the tip or point. Compounded flowers are either, first, discous or discoidal; that is, whose flosculi are set together so close, thick, and even, as to make the surface of the flower plain and flat, which therefore, because of its round form, will be like a discus; which disk is sometimes radiated, when there is a row of petala standing round in the disk, like the points of a star, as in the matricaria, chamæmelum, &c. and sometimes naked, having no such radiating leaves round the limb of its disk, as in the tanacetum: 2d, planifolious, which is composed of plain flowers, set together in circular rows round the centre, and whose face is usually indented, notched uneven and jagged, as the hieracia, &c. 3d, fistular, which is compounded of many long hollow little flowers, like pipes, all divided into large jags at the ends. Imperfect flowers, because they want the petala, are called stamineous, apetalous, and capillaceous; and those which hang pendulous by fine threads, like the juli, are by Tournefort called amentaceous, and we call them cats-tail. The term campaniformis is used for such as are in the shape of a bell, and infundibuliformis for such as are in the form of a funnel. Philip Miller.

   Good men’s lives
   Expire before the flowers in their caps,
   Dying or ere they sicken. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   With flow’r inwoven tresses torn,
   The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. John Milton.

   Beauteous flow’rs why do we spread
   Upon the monuments of the dead? Abraham Cowley.

   Though the same sun with all-diffusive rays
   Blush in the rose and in the diamond blaze,
   We praise the stronger effort of his power,
   And always set the gem above the flower. Alexander Pope.

   If the blossom of the plant be of most importance, we call it a flower; such are daisies, tulips, and carnations. Isaac Watts.

   2. An ornament; an embellishment.

   This discourse of Cyprian, and the excellent flowers of rhetorick in it, shew him to have been a sweet and powerful orator. George Hakewill, on Providence.

   Truth needs no flow’rs of speech. Alexander Pope.

   3. The prime; the flourishing part.

   Alas! young man, your days can ne’er be long:
   In flow’r of age you perish for a song. Alexander Pope, Horace Impr.

   4. The edible part of corn; the meal.

   The bread I would have in flower, so as it might be baked still to serve their necessary want. Edmund Spenser, on Ireland.

   I can make my audit up, that all
   From me do back receive the flow’r of all,
   And leave me but the bran William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   The flowers of grains, mixed with water, will make a sort of glue. John Arbuthnot, on Aliments.

   But by thy care twelve urns of wine be fill’d,
   Next these in worth, and firm those urns be seal’d;
   Be twice ten measures of the choicest flour
   Prepar’d, ere yet descends the evening hour. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

   5. The most excellent or valuable part of any thing; quintessence.

   The choice and flower of all things profitable the Psalms do more briefly contain, and more movingly express, by reason of their poetical form. Richard Hooker.

   Thou hast slain
   The flower of Europe for his chivalry. William Shakespeare, Henry VI.

   The French monarchy is exhausted of its bravest subjects: the flower of the nation is consumed in its wars. Addison.

   6. That which is most distinguished for any thing valuable.

   He is not the flower of courtesy; but, I warrant him, as gentle as a lamb. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

2. To Flowerverb

   To adorn with fictitious or imitated flowers.

   Etymology: from the noun.

3. To Flowerverb

   Etymology: fleurir, French, or from the noun.

   1. To be in flower; to be in blossom; to bloom; to put forth flowers.

   So forth they marched in this goodly sort,
   To take the solace of the open air,
   And in fresh flowering fields themselves to sport. Fairy Qu.

   Sacred hill, whose head full high,
   Is, as it were, for endless memory
   Of that dear Lord, who oft thereon was found,
   For ever with a flow’ring garland crown’d. Fairy Queen.

   Then herbs of every leaf, that sudden flower’d,
   Op’ning their various colours. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. vii.

   Mark well the flow’ring almonds in the wood,
   If od’rous blooms the bearing branches load. John Dryden, Georg.

   To leafless shrubs the flow’ring palms succeed,
   And od’rous myrtle to the noisome weed. Alexander Pope, Messiah.

   2. To be in the prime; to flourish.

   Whilome in youth, when flower’d my youthful spring,
   Like swallow swift, I wandered here and there;
   For heat of heedless lust me did so sting,
   That I of doubted danger had no fear. Edmund Spenser, Pastorals.

   This cause detain’d me all my flow’ring youth,
   Within a loathsome dungeon there to pine. William Shakespeare, Hen. VI.

   3. To froth; to ferment; to mantle, as new bottled beer.

   Those above water were the best, and that beer did flower a little; whereas that under water did not, though it were fresh. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 385.

   An extreme clarification doth spread the spirits so smooth that they become dull, and the drink dead, which ought to have a little flowering. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   4. To come as cream from the surface.

   If you can accept of these few observations, which have flowered off, and are, as it were, the burnishing of many studious and contemplative years, I here give you them to dispose of. John Milton, on Education.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Flower

   A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population) resulting from cross-pollination or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower) when self-pollination occurs. There are two types of pollination: self-pollination and cross-pollination. Self-pollination occurs when the pollen from the anther is deposited on the stigma of the same flower, or another flower on the same plant. Cross-pollination is when pollen is transferred from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower on a different individual of the same species. Self-pollination happens in flowers where the stamen and carpel mature at the same time, and are positioned so that the pollen can land on the flower's stigma. This pollination does not require an investment from the plant to provide nectar and pollen as food for pollinators.Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen. After fertilization, the ovary of the flower develops into fruit containing seeds. In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to bring beauty to the environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, esotericism, witchcraft, religion, holistic medicine, and as a source of food.

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Flowernoun

   in the popular sense, the bloom or blossom of a plant; the showy portion, usually of a different color, shape, and texture from the foliage

2. Flowernoun

   that part of a plant destined to produce seed, and hence including one or both of the sexual organs; an organ or combination of the organs of reproduction, whether inclosed by a circle of foliar parts or not. A complete flower consists of two essential parts, the stamens and the pistil, and two floral envelopes, the corolla and callyx. In mosses the flowers consist of a few special leaves surrounding or subtending organs called archegonia. See Blossom, and Corolla

3. Flowernoun

   the fairest, freshest, and choicest part of anything; as, the flower of an army, or of a family; the state or time of freshness and bloom; as, the flower of life, that is, youth

4. Flowernoun

   grain pulverized; meal; flour

5. Flowernoun

   a substance in the form of a powder, especially when condensed from sublimation; as, the flowers of sulphur

6. Flowernoun

   a figure of speech; an ornament of style

7. Flowernoun

   ornamental type used chiefly for borders around pages, cards, etc

8. Flowernoun

   menstrual discharges

9. Flowerverb

   to blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals, as a plant; to produce flowers; as, this plant flowers in June

10. Flowerverb

    to come into the finest or fairest condition

11. Flowerverb

    to froth; to ferment gently, as new beer

12. Flowerverb

    to come off as flowers by sublimation

13. Flowerverb

    to embellish with flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers; as, flowered silk

14. Etymology: [OE. flour, OF. flour, flur, flor, F. fleur, fr. L. flos, floris. Cf. Blossom, Effloresce, Floret, Florid, Florin, Flour, Flourish.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Flower

   A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants. The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing or allow selfing. Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization. Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop. Flowers give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen. In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Flower

   flow′ėr, n. a growth comprising the reproductive organs of plants: the blossom of a plant: the best of anything: the prime of life: the person or thing most distinguished: a figure of speech: ornament of style: (pl.) menstrual discharge (B.).—v.t. to adorn with figures of flowers.—v.i. to blossom: to flourish.—ns. Flow′erage, a gathering of flowers; Flow′er-bell, a blossom shaped like a bell; Flow′er-bud, a bud with the unopened flower; Flow′er-clock, a collection of flowers so arranged that the time of day is indicated by their times of opening and closing; Flow′er-de-luce, the old name for the common species of iris (q.v.), or for the heraldic emblem conventionalised therefrom (see Fleur-de-lis); Flow′eret, a little flower: a floret; Flow′er-head, a compound flower in which all the florets are sessile on the receptacle; Flow′eriness; Flow′ering-rush, a monocotyledonous plant usually reckoned under the order Alismaceæ, with large linear three-edged leaves and an umbel of rose-coloured flowers.—adjs. Flow′er-kir′tled, Flow′ery-kir′tled (Milt.), dressed in robes or garlands of flowers; Flow′erless (bot.) having no flowers.—ns. Flow′er-pot, a utensil in culture whereby plants are rendered portable;, Flow′er-serv′ice, a church service where offerings of flowers are made, to be afterwards sent to hospitals; Flow′er-show, an exhibition of flowers; Flow′er-stalk, the stem that supports the flower.—adj. Flow′ery, full of, or adorned with, flowers: highly embellished, florid.—Flower of Jove, a caryophyllaceous plant, with heads of purple or scarlet flowers, and leaves silky-white with hairs. [O. Fr. flour (Fr. fleur)—L. flos, floris, a flower.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. flower

   A type of cultivar, plant or seed created in various colors, species and sizes.

   Flowers are a beautiful sight to the human eye and smell fabulous.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 25, 2020  

2. ---

   flower

   A type of flower created in various colors, shapes and sizes.

   Flowers are a beautiful sight to the human eye and smell fabulous.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 25, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. flower

   Song lyrics by flower -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by flower on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Develop
   • Flowering Plant
   • Reproductive Structure

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'flower' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4315

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'flower' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3458

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'flower' in Nouns Frequency: #620

Anagrams for flower »

1. reflow

2. fowler

3. wolfer

How to pronounce flower?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say flower in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of flower in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of flower in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of flower in a Sentence

1. Thomas Nash:

   Beauty is but a flower,Which wrinkles will devourBrightness falls from the airQueens have died young and fairDust hath closed Helen's eye.I am sick, I must dieLord have mercy on us.

2. Robert M. Pursig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance":

   I think that their flight from and hatred of technology is self-defeating. The Buddha rests quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer of the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower. To think otherwise is to demean the Buddha--which is to demean oneself.

3. Jennifer Kempton:

   It started when I got the one on my neck covered up and the next morning when I looked at myself in the mirror and I wasn't reminded that I worked for gangs and I was a part of that kind of life, to have this beautiful flower opening and blooming, it was just, gave me a whole new breath of life.

4. Andy Macuga:

   We were completely caught off guard in 2017 because it was the first time that we had had a flower season like this with social media, it helps now knowing whats coming.

5. Auguste Rodin:

   The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms, Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him.

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