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candytuft

[ kan-dee-tuhft ]
/ ˈkæn diˌtʌft /
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noun
a plant of the genus Iberis, of the mustard family, especially I. umbellata, an ornamental plant with tufted pink, violet, purple, or red flowers, originally from the island of Crete.
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Origin of candytuft

1570–80; Candy (variant of Candia) + tuft
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use candytuft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for candytuft

candytuft
/ (ˈkændɪˌtʌft) /

noun
either of two species of Iberis grown as annual garden plants for their umbels ("tufts") of white, red, or purplish flowersSee iberis

Word Origin for candytuft

C17: from Candy, obsolete variant of Candia (Crete) + tuft
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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