columbine
noun
a plant, Aquilegia caerula, of the buttercup family, having showy flowers with white petals and white to blue sepals that form long, backward spurs: the state flower of Colorado.
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columbine
1 American
[kol-uhm-bahyn]
/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /
noun
-
a plant, Aquilegia caerula, of the buttercup family, having showy flowers with white petals and white to blue sepals that form long, backward spurs: the state flower of Colorado.
-
any of various other plants of the genus Aquilegia, characterized by divided leaves and showy flowers of various colors.
columbine
2
American
[kol-uhm-bahyn, -bin]
/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn, -bɪn /
adjective
-
of a dove.
-
dovelike; dove-colored.
Columbine
3
American
[kol-uhm-bahyn]
/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /
noun
-
a female character in commedia dell'arte and pantomime: sweetheart of Harlequin.
-
a female given name.
Columbine
1
British
/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /
noun
-
(originally) the character of a servant girl in commedia dell'arte
-
(later) the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime
columbine
2
British
/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /
noun
columbine
3
British
/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /
adjective
Etymology
Origin of columbine1
1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin columbīna ( herba ) dovelike (plant), feminine of Latin columbīnus ( see columbine 2); the inverted flower looks like a group of doves
Origin of columbine2
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin columbīnus, equivalent to columb ( a ) dove + -īnus -ine 1
Origin of Columbine3
1720–30; < Italian Columbina literally, dovelike girl; see columbine 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
You can help your gardens along by selecting plants that re-seed themselves — flowers such as columbine, coreopsis, and lupine will self-sow and spread throughout your gardens each year.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2022
Our forest floors should be carpeted with Virginia bluebells, trillium, skunk cabbage, jewelweed, ferns, spring beauty, trout lily, columbine and more.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022
Even something as charming as columbine can overdo itself, so I deadhead a portion of the seed heads.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2021
A short-lived perennial, columbine grows best in well-drained soil with afternoon shade.
From Time ● Sep. 24, 2017
I add bouquets of columbine, fennel, and daisies from my garden.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Ask Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine killers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
When asked where she finds the strength to comfort these children, Jung didn’t hesitate: “From them. There’s no teacher who gets into teaching after Columbine who isn’t ready to die for their kids,” she said.
From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2026
Cullen was one of the journalists who reported in the immediate aftermath of the Columbine High School shooting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025
Some needed years to view themselves as Columbine survivors since they were not physically wounded.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2024
The Columbine High School tragedy made the Freedom Writers realize how fortunate they were.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
