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• columbine
  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.
• Columbine
  Columbine

  noun

  a female character in commedia dell'arte and pantomime: sweetheart of Harlequin.

columbine

¹ American  

[kol-uhm-bahyn] / ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

noun

1. 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.

2. any of various other plants of the genus Aquilegia, characterized by divided leaves and showy flowers of various colors.

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columbine ² American  

[kol-uhm-bahyn, -bin] / ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn, -bɪn /

adjective

1. of a dove.

2. dovelike; dove-colored.

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Columbine ³ American  

[kol-uhm-bahyn] / ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

noun

1. a female character in commedia dell'arte and pantomime: sweetheart of Harlequin.

2. a female given name.

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Columbine ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /

noun

1. (originally) the character of a servant girl in commedia dell'arte

2. (later) the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime

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columbine ² British  

/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /

noun

1. Also called: aquilegia. any plant of the ranunculaceous genus Aquilegia, having purple, blue, yellow, or red flowers with five spurred petals

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columbine ³ British  

/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a dove

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

columbine Columbine

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

Seeds of most columbine species do not require cold in order to germinate, but hot soil temperatures should be avoided.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2022

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

One day in April 1999, her team faced off against a nearby rival, Columbine High.

From Salon ● Jun. 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

In that case, Columbine parents fought for access to the records, believing they would show a cover-up by the local sheriff.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 2023

None of this was awfully far in his past and, as we talked about Columbine, the anger bubbled up, still fresh.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

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