starflower
|star-flow-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈstɑrˌflaʊɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈstɑːˌflaʊə/
star-shaped flower
Etymology
'starflower' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'star' and 'flower', where 'star' meant 'star' and 'flower' meant 'blossom'.
'star' comes from Old English 'steorra' and 'flower' from Old English 'flōwe(r)', both of which developed through Middle English into the modern words; the compound 'starflower' developed in Modern English as a descriptive common name for plants with star-shaped flowers.
Initially a literal compound meaning 'a flower like a star', the term has remained broadly descriptive and continues to refer to plants with star-shaped blooms (both specific species and general usage).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a small spring-flowering bulbous garden plant (Ipheion uniflorum), with star-shaped flowers, often grown in borders and rock gardens.
Every March the starflowers in the border open into pale blue stars.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a woodland wildflower (e.g., Trientalis borealis, commonly called 'starflower' or 'woodland star') bearing small, white star-shaped flowers in spring.
On the forest floor, clusters of starflowers carpet the leaf litter in May.
Synonyms
Noun 3
any plant (wild or cultivated) whose flowers are distinctly star-shaped; used as a general descriptive common name.
The meadow was dotted with various starflowers, each with five sharp points.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/15 13:45