Hypertext Webster Gateway: "flower"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Flower \Flow"er\, n. [OE. flour, OF. flour, flur, flor, F.
fleur, fr. L. flos, floris. Cf. {Blossom}, {Effloresce},
{Floret}, {Florid}, {Florin}, {Flour}, {Flourish}.]
1. In the popular sense, the bloom or blossom of a plant; the
showy portion, usually of a different color, shape, and
texture from the foliage.
2. (Bot.) That part of a plant destined to produce seed, and
hence including one or both of the sexual organs; an organ
or combination of the organs of reproduction, whether
inclosed by a circle of foliar parts or not. A complete
flower consists of two essential parts, the stamens and
the pistil, and two floral envelopes, the corolla and
callyx. In mosses the flowers consist of a few special
leaves surrounding or subtending organs called archegonia.
See {Blossom}, and {Corolla}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Flower \Flow"er\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Flowered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Flowering}.] [From the noun. Cf. {Flourish}.]
1. To blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals, as a plant; to
produce flowers; as, this plant flowers in June.
2. To come into the finest or fairest condition.
Their lusty and flowering age. --Robynson
(More's
Utopia).
When flowered my youthful spring. --Spenser.
3. To froth; to ferment gently, as new beer.
That beer did flower a little. --Bacon.
4. To come off as flowers by sublimation. [Obs.]
Observations which have flowered off. --Milton.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Flower \Flow"er\, v. t.
To embellish with flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers;
as, flowered silk.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
flower
n 1: a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
2: reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one
having showy or colorful parts [syn: {bloom}, {blossom}]
3: the period of greatest prosperity or productivity [syn: {prime},
{peak}, {heyday}, {bloom}, {blossom}, {efflorescence}, {flush}]
v : produce or yield flowers; "The cherry tree bloomed" [syn: {bloom},
{blossom}]
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