bells of Ireland
noun
a plant, Molucella laevis, native to western Asia, having inconspicuous white flowers, each surrounded by an enlarged green calyx.
Origin of bells of Ireland
1First recorded in 1955–60; so called from the bell-like green calyx
- Also called shellflower.
Words Nearby bells of Ireland
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for bells of Ireland
bells of Ireland
noun
(functioning as singular) an annual garden plant, Moluccella laevis, whose flowers have a green cup-shaped calyx: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
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
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