Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for cornflower. Search instead for Cornflower blue.

cornflower

American  
[kawrn-flou-er] / ˈkɔrnˌflaʊ ər /

noun

  1. Also called bachelor's-button, bluebottle.  a European composite plant, Centaurea cyanus, growing in grainfields, having blue to white flower heads, often cultivated as an ornamental.

  2. Also called cornflower blue.  a deep, vivid blue.

  3. corn cockle.

  4. strawflower.

cornflower British  
/ ˈkɔːnˌflaʊə /

noun

  1. Also called: bluebottle.  a Eurasian herbaceous plant, Centaurea cyanus, with blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, formerly a common weed in cornfields: family Asteraceae (composites) See also bachelor's-buttons

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cornflower

First recorded in 1570–80; corn 1 + flower

Vocabulary lists containing cornflower

Blue

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Yellow

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

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.

During our interview, Schneider repeatedly referred to stats from his Noom weight-loss app, his cornflower blue eyes glimmering as he spoke of caloric intake versus exercise expenditure in steps and miles.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2024

Of course, in the fashion world, an item of clothing can't just be blue, so Laws says he thinks cornflower and cobalt blue will make a particular appearance across shows.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2024

In the resulting enigmatic dreamscapes, muted purples, cornflower blues and soft ochres bloom and spatter and fleck in surprising, delicate ways.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 24, 2024

A few years ago, Buchweitz tried to develop the cornflower blue as a colorant for the food industry, but it didn’t pan out.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 14, 2023

The sky glows cottony white and cornflower blue.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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.