pansy

pansy

English

Etymology

From Middle French pensée (“thought”), as the plant resembles someone that is in deep thought, with a lowered head. Doublet of pensée.

Pronunciation

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• IPA^(key): /ˈpæn.zi/
• Rhymes: -ænzi

Purple pansy

Noun

pansy (plural pansies)

1. A cultivated flowering plant, derived by hybridization within species Viola tricolor.
   • 1697, Virgil, “The Second Pastoral. Or, Alexis.”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432, page 6:

     The Daughters of the Flood have ſearch'd the Mead / For Violets pale, and cropt the Poppy's Head: / The Short Narciſſus and fair Daffodil, / Pancies to pleaſe the Sight, and Caſſia ſvveet to ſmell: […]

   • 1920, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Revelations”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, OCLC 561951956, page 271:

     Oh, what a perfect thought. Lilies-of-the-valley, and white pansies, double white violets and white velvet ribbon… From an unknown friend. … From one who understands. … For a Little Girl.

2. (color) A deep purple colour, like that of the pansy.

   pansy:  

3. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Junonia.

   Synonym: argus

4. (derogatory, colloquial) A timid, weak man or boy; a wuss.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:milksop

5. (derogatory, colloquial, dated) A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:male homosexual, Thesaurus:effeminate man

Alternative forms

• pancy (obsolete)

Translations

plant

Bulgarian: трицветна теменуга f (tricvetna temenuga) Catalan: pensament (ca) m, pensamentera (ca) f Chinese: Mandarin: 三色堇 (zh) (sānsèjǐn) Czech: maceška (cs) f Dutch: viooltje (nl) n, reuzenviool m or f Finnish: orvokki (fi), tarhaorvokki French: pensée (fr) f Galician: pensamento (gl) m Georgian: იაჟუჟუნა (iažužuna) German: Stiefmütterchen (de) n Greek: πανσές (el) m (pansés) Hebrew: אַמְנוֹן וְתָמָר‎ (he) m (amnón vetamár) Hindi: बनफशा (hi) m (banaphśā) Hungarian: árvácska (hu) Irish: goirmín m Italian: pansé Japanese: パンジー (panjī), 三色菫 (さんしきすみれ, sanshikisumire) Korean: 팬지 (paenji) Norman: pensée f, des faches dé cat f pl Persian: بنفشه سه‌رنگ‎ Plautdietsch: Steefmurrakje f Polish: bratek (pl) m Portuguese: amor-perfeito (pt) m Romanian: pansea (ro) f, panseluță (ro) f Russian: аню́тины гла́зки (ru) m pl (anjútiny glázki) Spanish: pensamiento (es) m Swedish: pensé (sv) Welsh: trilliw m, fioled drilliw f

colour

Finnish: orvokinsininen French: mauve (fr) m, indigo (fr) m Russian: фиоле́товый (ru) (fiolétovyj)

informal:coward or weak person

Dutch: schijtlijster (nl) m French: fiotte (fr) f Italian: mammoletta, femminuccia (it), coniglio (it), merlo (it), pollo (it), smidollato (it), pappa molle, pappamolle, rammollito (it), fifone (it), codardo (it), cortigiano (it), mollusco (it), vigliacco (it), pusillanime (it), eunuco (it), debole (it) m, pisciasotto (it), cacasotto (it), pauroso (it), vile (it), checca (it), frocio (it), ricchione (it), finocchio (it) Polish: baba (pl) f Russian: хлюпик (ru) m (xljupik), слабак (ru) m (slabak)

Adjective

pansy (not comparable)

1. Wimpy; spineless; feeble.
2. Of a deep purple colour, like that of the pansy.

Derived terms

• blue pansy
• pansified
• pansification
• wild pansy

Related terms

• pensive
• poise
• peso

Translations

colour

Hindi: बनफ्शई (hi) (banaphśaī) Russian: фиоле́товый (ru) (fiolétovyj)

Verb

pansy (third-person singular simple present pansies, present participle pansying, simple past and past participle pansied)

1. (slang, intransitive, usually with "around" or "about") To mess about; to fail to get things done.

See also

• heartsease
• Johnny-jump-up
• Appendix:Colors

Further reading

• Jonathon Green (2023), “pansy n.”, in Green's Dictionary of Slang
• Jonathon Green (2023), “pansy adj.”, in Green's Dictionary of Slang