gillyflower

or gil·li·flow·er

[ jil-ee-flou-er ]

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

/ ˈdʒɪlɪˌflaʊə /

noun

1. any of several plants having fragrant flowers, such as the stock and wallflower
2. an archaic name for carnation

Word History and Origins

Origin of gillyflower¹

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of gillyflower¹

C14: changed (through influence of flower ) from gilofre, from Old French girofle, from Medieval Latin, from Greek karuophullon clove tree, from karuon nut + phullon leaf

Example Sentences

I only gazed at the unfinished piece with its gillyflowers and pansies in blue and purple silk, while I whispered to myself, “I am Hamlet’s wife.”

From Literature

The poetic plant list ranges from asters to zinnias, from wallflowers and cosmos to gillyflowers, tree mallows, trailing lobelias, globe amaranths, toadflax and perennial sage.

From New York Times

On the other side of the house stretched the garden—such a sweet, old-fashioned garden, where roses, lilies, and gillyflowers were all mixed up with the currants and gooseberries and cabbages.

From Project Gutenberg

Hot July brings cooling showers Apricots, and gillyflowers.

From Project Gutenberg

The gillyflower of Chaucer and Spenser and Shakespeare was, as in Italy, Dianthus Caryophyllus; that of later writers and of gardeners, Matthiola.

From Project Gutenberg