delphinium

American  

[del-fin-ee-uhm] / dɛlˈfɪn i əm /

noun

plural

delphiniums, delphinia

1. any of numerous plants of the genus Delphinium, especially any of various tall, cultivated species having usually blue, pink, or white flowers.

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delphinium British  

/ dɛlˈfɪnɪəm /

noun

1. any ranunculaceous plant of the genus Delphinium: many varieties are cultivated as garden plants for their spikes of blue, pink, or white spurred flowers See also larkspur

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Usage

What does delphinium mean? A delphinium is a tall plant with blue, purple, pink, or white flowers. The flower itself is also commonly called a delphinium.The plural is delphiniums or delphinia.The genus Delphinium includes more than 300 species, and any of these can be referred to as a delphinium. Another name for the delphinium is larkspur (though not all flowers referred to as larkspurs are in the genus Delphinium). Delphiniums are part of the family Ranunculaceae.Delphinium is one of the July birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone). The blue variety is popular in bouquets.Example: I planted delphiniums behind the rose bush to give it a nice backdrop.

Etymology

Origin of delphinium

1655–65; < New Latin < Greek delphī́nion larkspur, derivative of delphī́s (stem delphīn- ) dolphin; so called from the shape of the nectary

Example Sentences

Only the gardener knows the cutworms are winning, or that those billowing cosmos fill in the bare space where the delphinium died.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

They were out of baby’s breath, but on the floor around them were buckets of thousands of donated blooms — fragrant lilies, roses and carnations, blue delphinium, stalky allium and green bells of Ireland.

From Washington Post • May 30, 2022

Inside the clothes were too; crepe dresses and trousers bore allover botanical prints, a white sheath dress was embroidered with a single camellia and delphinium vine embroidery climbed along dresses and trousers.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2020

Luckily, the flower market yielded larkspur and delphinium in shades of saturated and light blues with the height, bulk and boldness I needed to rebuild “Peaudesoiemusic” out of blooms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 28, 2016

There’s no anger in his delphinium eyes and no fear and no hatred either, so maybe it’s all right.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck