gillyflower

American  

[jil-ee-flou-er] / ˈdʒɪl iˌflaʊ ər /

Or gilliflower

noun

1. Archaic. any of several fragrant flowers of the genus Dianthus, as the carnation or clove pink.

2. any of various other usually fragrant flowers, especially a stock, Matthiola incana, of the mustard family.

---

gillyflower British  

/ ˈdʒɪlɪˌflaʊə /

noun

1. any of several plants having fragrant flowers, such as the stock and wallflower

2. an archaic name for carnation

---

Etymology

Origin of gillyflower

1300–50; alteration (by association with flower ) of Middle English gilofre, geraflour < Old French gilofre, girofle < Latin caryophyllum < Greek karyóphyllon clove ( káryo ( n ) nut + phýllon leaf )

Example Sentences

Gay couples have snapped up rainbow-colored arrangements for the occasions, some of dyed roses, others a mélange of blossoms that span the spectrum from red gingers to yellow mums to purple gillyflower.

From BusinessWeek • Oct. 20, 2011

The rose is red, the violet blue, The gillyflower sweet — and so are you.

From The Only True Mother Goose Melodies Without Addition or Abridgement by Unknown

In May the rich brown and gold of the gillyflower is seen on every side, and their fragrance is wafted far and wide by every breeze that blows.

From A Cotswold Village by Gibbs, J. Arthur

Then pinks and gillyflowers, specially the matted pink and clove gillyflower.

From A Century of English Essays An Anthology Ranging from Caxton to R. L. Stevenson & the Writers of Our Own Time by Rhys, Ernest

The rose is red, the violet is blue, The gillyflower sweet—and so are you.

From The Only True Mother Goose Melodies by Anonymous