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anemone

American  
[uh-nem-uh-nee] / əˈnɛm əˌni /

noun

  • anemones
    plural
  1. any of various plants belonging to the genus Anemone, of the buttercup family, having petallike sepals and including several wild species with white flowers as well as others cultivated for their showy flowers in a variety of colors.

  2. sea anemone.


anemone British  
/ əˈnɛmənɪ /

noun

  1. any ranunculaceous woodland plant of the genus Anemone of N temperate regions, such as the white-flowered A. nemorosa ( wood anemone or windflower ). Some cultivated anemones have lilac, pale blue, pink, purple, or red flowers See also pasqueflower Compare sea anemone

"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

anemone Scientific  
/ ə-nĕm′ə-nē /

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of anemone

1545–55; < Latin < Greek: literally, daughter of the wind, equivalent to ánem ( os ) wind + -ōnē feminine patronymic suffix; see -one


Explanation

An anemone is a brightly colored flower. Another name for an anemone is a "windflower." You might decide to plant anemones in your garden if you want a colorful, summer-blooming plant. Another kind of anemone is a "sea anemone," which is not a plant at all, but a flower-like sea creature that attaches itself to a surface and feeds on fish and crustaceans. Anemone is a Greek word that means "windflower" or literally "daughter of the wind," from anemos, "wind," and the feminine suffix -one.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing anemone

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:

He receives live sea anemone, which he presents tableside to guests so they can better understand what they are eating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025

Sea anemone isn’t braised and paired with glass noodles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025

While some regenerating animals like salamanders and fish focus on restoring lost parts in proportion to what remains, this sea anemone takes a different approach.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 29, 2024

Slice it in half, and each piece becomes a complete, fully functional anemone.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 29, 2024

The grass swayed and rustled around her like the tentacles of a gigantic undersea anemone.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

The florist-by-trade gestures behind her to hundreds of flowers contained in buckets — blue thistles, ivory anemones and calla lilies painted silver — all twisted and unfurling into the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026

Inside the egg, a surprise awaits: a bouquet of flowers made of white quartz wood anemones, each flower with gold wire stem and stamens.

From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025

After examining their form, habitat, and shell structure, the team concluded that Salterella and Volborthella most likely belonged to the cnidarian group -- relatives of modern corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2025

It is hoped species such as ross worms, anemones, oysters and mussels will live on the reef cubes and that fish and crustaceans will also come over time.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025

When they had first moved in, Emma had planted bluebells and anemones, primroses, cowslips, and wild ivy, which she especially loved.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

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