Added 9 October 2026
gillyflower
/ˈdʒɪl.ɪˌflaʊə/ noun
Latin root: caryophyllum Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about gillyflower at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Any of several Old World plants cultivated for their brightly colored flowers.
- Eurasian plant with pink to purple-red spice-scented usually double flowers; widely cultivated in many varieties and many colors.
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)