WALLFLOWER

wallflower

(noun) remains on sidelines at social event

wallflower, Cheiranthus cheiri, Erysimum cheiri

(noun) perennial of southern Europe having clusters of fragrant flowers of all colors especially yellow and orange; often naturalized on old walls or cliffs; sometimes placed in genus Erysimum

wallflower

(noun) any of numerous plants of the genus Erysimum having fragrant yellow or orange or brownish flowers

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

wallflower (plural wallflowers)

Any of several short-lived herbs or shrubs of the Erysimum genus with bright yellow to red flowers.

Gastrolobium grandiflorum, a poisonous bushy shrub, endemic to Australia.

(informal) A person who is socially awkward, especially one who does not dance at a party due to shyness.

Verb

wallflower (third-person singular simple present wallflowers, present participle wallflowering, simple past and past participle wallflowered)

(intransitive) To stand shyly apart from a dance, waiting to be asked to join in.

Source: Wiktionary


Wall"flow`er, n.

1. (Bot.)

Definition: A perennial, cruciferous plant (Cheiranthus Cheiri), with sweet-scented flowers varying in color from yellow to orange and deep red. In Europe it very common on old walls.

Note: The name is sometimes extended to other species of Cheiranthus and of the related genus Erysimum, especially the American Western wallflower (Erysimum asperum), a biennial herb with orange-yellow flowers.

2. A lady at a ball, who, either from choice, or because not asked to dance, remains a spectator. [Colloq.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

25 November 2024

ONCHOCERCIASIS

(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America


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