flower

FLOW-ur/ˈflaʊ.ɚ/FLOW-uh/ˈflaʊ.ə/

Pluralflowers

Verbflowers, flowering, flowered

19 meanings of flower

Practice

1
blossomnouncountable or uncountable
The colorful part of a plant, often with a nice smell, which people pick and give as gifts.
Like a plant's colorful sign that says 'bees, come here!'
A bright yellow flower opened in the garden this morning.
Bees love to land on each flower to drink the sweet nectar.
Usageflower and flour sound the same but mean different things.
Similarbloom, blossom
Note
2
nouncountable or uncountable
A plant that grows blooms, usually a small, soft one rather than a tree or bush.
She planted a flower right by the front door.
Each flower in the bed needs water every day.
3
produce blossomsverbintransitive
To grow and open new blooms.
The cherry trees flower early in spring.
These plants will flower again next year.
Similarbloom, blossom
4
noununcountable
The time when a plant has its blooms open.
The apple tree is in flower right now.
When the field is in flower, it turns bright yellow.
UsageSay a tree is in flower when it has blooms.
Similarbloom, blossom
Note
5
cannabisnounslanguncountable
The dried buds of the cannabis plant, used as a drug.
The dispensary sells flower by the gram, as well as gummies and oils.
In some states, adults can legally buy flower at licensed stores.
Similarbud, cannabis, marijuana
Note
6
best peoplenouncountable or uncountable
The best people or part of something, or the best time in someone's life or work.
Like picking the ripest, best fruit from the whole basket.
Her talent was in full flower by the time she turned thirty.
He died in the flower of his youth, at only twenty.
UsageSay the flower of a group: its best people.
Similarcream, pick, elite, best, prime
Oppositedregs
Note

Less common meanings

7
develop fullyverbintransitive
To grow into your best or fullest form.
Like a small seed growing into a tall, strong plant.
Her talent began to flower once she joined the choir.
Friendships often flower when people share hard times.
UsageUse flower into to show the result: Their friendship flowered into love.
Similarblossom, bloom, flourish, develop, mature
Oppositewither
Note
8
creditnounfigurativelycountable or uncountableplural
Praise or credit given to someone for what they have done.
Like getting a prize while you are still around to enjoy it.
People should get their flowers while they are still here to enjoy them.
After years of quiet work, she finally got her flowers from the whole team.
Usagegive someone their flowers means praise them.
Similardue, credit, recognition, props
Note
9
delicate personnouncountable or uncountable
A person who gets upset easily and seems weak or too sensitive.
Like a thin plant that wilts the moment the wind blows.
Don't be such a delicate flower over a little teasing.
He's a sensitive flower who cries at every sad movie.
Usagea delicate flower is a joking name for someone easily upset.
Similarweakling, wimp, softy
Note
10
verbtransitive
To decorate something with pictures of flowers.
Like drawing little flowers all over the cover of your notebook.
Her old kitchen curtains were flowered with little yellow daisies.
Grandma wore a flowered dress with big red roses all over it.
Similardecorate, adorn
11
vulvanouncolloquialeuphemisticcountable or uncountable
A polite word for a woman's outer private parts.
In the romance novel, she blushed as his hand moved toward her flower.
Embarrassed, she told the doctor that her flower felt sore and itchy.
Note
12
fancy phrasenouncountable or uncountable
A pretty or fancy phrase used to make writing or speech sound nicer.
Like putting bows and ribbons on plain words to make them look fancy.
He added a flower of speech to every sentence to make it sound grand.
Her essay was full of flowers of style but said very little.
UsageUsually plural: flowers of speech.
Similarflourish, ornament, embellishment
13
USFLOH-ur/ˈfloʊɚ/UKFLOH-uh/ˈfləʊə/
rivernounrarecountable
A thing that flows, especially a river.
Like calling someone who runs a runner: here a flower is something that flows.
In some crossword puzzles, the word flower is a tricky way to say river.
one that flows with force and speed; the fast flower
1959, Scottish Studies, volumes 3-4Here, flower means something that flows, such as a fast river.
Similarriver, stream
Note
14
turn to powderverbarchaicintransitive
To turn into a fine powder as a vapor cools onto a surface.
observations which have flowered off
[1644], [John Milton], Of Education. To Master Samuel HartlibHere, flowered means come off as a fine powder, settling elsewhere.
Similareffloresce
Note
15
frothverbarchaicintransitive
To bubble and foam gently while fermenting, as new beer does.
That beer did flower a little.
1627, Francis [Bacon], Sylua SyluarumHere, flower means foam and ferment gently, as new beer does.
Note
16
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
Fine powder made by grinding wheat or other grain, used for baking.
The Flovvers of Grains mix'd vvith VVater vvill make a ſort of Glue.
1731, John Arbuthnot, “Of the Different Intentions to be Pursued in the Choice of Aliment in Different Constitutions”Here, flowers means flour, finely ground grain.
Note
17
period bloodnounobsoletecountable or uncountableplural
The blood a woman loses from her body during her monthly period.
And if any man lye with her at all, and her flowers be vpon him, hee shall be vncleane seuen dayes: and all the bed whereon he lyeth, shall be vncleane.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, flowers means a woman's monthly period blood.
Note
18
noun
Small printed decorations used to form borders around pages, cards, and the like.
19
noun
A fine powder formed when a vapor turns straight back into a solid, now used mainly in names like flowers of sulfur.
Exposed to a moderate fire in subliming pots, [brimstone] rises all into dry, and almost tasteless, flowers; whereas being exposed to a naked fire, it affords store of a saline and fretting liquor.
1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical ChymistHere, flowers means a fine powder formed from vapor when heated.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of flower apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–12, 14–17

It came from Middle English "flour", which came through Anglo-Norman "flur" from Latin "flōs" (flower).

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

Flower came from Middle English flour. en.wiktionary.org
Middle English flour came through Anglo-Norman flur. en.wiktionary.org
The Latin source is flōs, through its accusative form flōrem. en.wiktionary.org
Latin flōs means flower. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 13

This form is made from "flow" plus the ending "-er".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

The form flower meaning something that flows is derived from flow plus the suffix -er. en.wiktionary.org