noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of florist
Explanation
A florist is someone whose job involves arranging and selling cut flowers. If you can't decide what flowers to buy your mom for Mother's Day, you can ask a florist for advice. It's most common to call the owner or manager of a flower shop a florist, although the word is also used to mean a person who grows flowers meant for cutting. Whether you're buying flowers for a sick friend or planning the bouquets for a wedding, a florist is the person you should consult. Florist comes from the French fleuriste, from the Latin root word flos, or "flower."
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:
Fresh flowers, another old standby, endure as a suitable host gift—if you get them from a local florist, not a corner store, and go with seasonal varieties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
And he's not the only one, with florist Kadir Kokus saying sales had been badly hit since the boards were erected late last month.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
One of my favorite entertaining tricks is to think of bread the way a florist thinks about greenery.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Hustled from the scene by a neighboring florist, she meets the vigilant but eccentric Neighborhood Watch group at the home of reclusive former detective Augusta Dupin.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
She grew peonies in another garden along the side of the house and sold them to a florist in Seattle.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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The raids also affected small businesses orbiting around quinceañeras: makers of embossed invitations, sellers of tiaras and crowns, choreographers, caterers, florists and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
“This heightened competition has pressured online florists to restrain prices and speed up delivery, driving down profit for major companies like 1-800-Flowers.com and FTD Companies,” analyst Matthew Buchko wrote in a February report.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
It also said florists could employ staff to sell fragrant lily of the valley, which is traditionally sold on Labour Day in France.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
Maria, who owns a florists off King's Road, said the bridge closure was causing delivery delays for her business.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
Tuxedos went to the cleaners; flowers came from the florists; Bunny put away his copy of The Bride of Fu Manchu and started carrying around a volume of Homer instead.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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