gillyflower

See also: gilly-flower

English

Alternative forms

gilliflower
gilli-flower
gilly-flower
July-flower
gilliver
gilloflower

Etymology

By folk etymology (with influence from flower) from French girofle, gilofre, from Late Latin caryophyllum, from Ancient Greek καρυόφυλλον (karuóphullon, “dried flower buds of the clove tree”).

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɪl.ɪˌflaʊə/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɪl.iˌflaʊɚ/, /ˈɡɪl.iˌflaʊɚ/

Noun

gillyflower (plural gillyflowers)

clove pink
Any clove-scented flower.
Any of several species of wallflower.
A variety of purplish-red apple with a roundish conical shape and a large core.
(heraldry) A stylized representation of a carnation blossom, usually red, and shown with or without a slip and leaves.

Synonyms

(carnation): carnation, pink

Derived terms

clove gillyflower
marsh gillyflower
Queen's gillyflower
sea gillyflower

wall gillyflower
water gillyflower
winter gillyflower

Translations

any clove-scented flower

variety of apple

heraldry: stylized carnation blossom

References

“Gillyflower” in Michael Quinion, Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, 2004, →ISBN.