bachelor's button

3 definitions found

bachelor's button - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Bachelor's button \Bach"e*lor's but"ton\, (Bot.)
     A plant with flowers shaped like buttons; especially, several
     species of Ranunculus, and the cornflower (Centaurea cyanus
     ) and globe amaranth (Gomphrena).
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Bachelor's buttons, a name given to several flowers
           "from their similitude to the jagged cloathe buttons,
           anciently worne in this kingdom," according to
           Johnson's --Gerarde, p. 472 (1633); but by other
           writers ascribed to "a habit of country fellows to
           carry them in their pockets to divine their success
           with their sweethearts." --Dr. Prior.
           [1913 Webster]

  Bluebottle \Blue"bot`tle\, blue-bottle \blue-bottle\, n.
     1. (Bot.) an annual Eurasian plant (Centaurea cyanus) which
        grows in grain fields; -- called also bachelor's button.
        It receives its name from its blue bottle-shaped flowers.
        Varieties cultivated in North America have showy heads of
        blue or purple or pink or white flowers
  
     Syn: cornflower, bachelor's button.
          [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
  
     2. (Zool.) A large and troublesome species of blowfly (Musca  vomitoria
        ). Its body is steel blue.
        [1913 Webster]

bachelor's button - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  bachelor's button
      n 1: an annual Eurasian plant cultivated in North America having
           showy heads of blue or purple or pink or white flowers
           [syn: cornflower, bachelor's button, bluebottle,
           Centaurea cyanus]
      2: tropical American herb having rose to red or purple flowers
         that can be dried without losing color [syn: globe   amaranth
         , bachelor's button, Gomphrena globosa]