carnation

[ kahr-ney-shuhn ]

/ kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

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noun

any of numerous cultivated varieties of the clove pink, Dianthus caryophyllus, having long-stalked, fragrant, usually double flowers in a variety of colors: the state flower of Ohio.

pink; light red.

Obsolete. the color of flesh.

adjective

having the color carnation.

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Origin of carnation

1525–35; <Late Latin carnātiōn- (stem of carnātiō) fleshlikeness, hence flesh-color, equivalent to Latin carn- (stem of carō) flesh + -ātiōn--ation

Words nearby carnation

Carnap, carnaroli, Carnarvon, carnassial, Carnatic, carnation, carnauba, Carné, Carneades, carne asada, Carnegie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT CARNATION

What does carnation mean?

A carnation is a fragrant flower that’s commonly reddish-pink but is found in a variety of colors, including white, pale pink, red, and even purple. Some varieties are striped.

Another name for the carnation is clove pink. Its scientific name is Dianthus caryophyllus.

Carnations are some of the most popular flowers to give as gifts. They are often given to mothers on Mother’s Day.

Different colors of carnations are said to have different meanings when presented as gifts. For example, red carnations are said to represent longing or admiration.

The carnation is the state flower of Ohio. It’s also the January birth flower (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).

The word carnation can also be used as a word for a pink or light red color like that of the flower.

Example: My prom corsage was made of lovely pink carnations.

Where does carnation come from?

The first records of the word carnation come from around 1530. It comes from a French word meaning “flesh color,” ultimately from the Latin carō, meaning “flesh.”

Carnations are herbaceous perennial plants with fringed petals. They’re thought to be native to the Mediterranean region and have been cultivated for thousands of years.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for carnation?

Dianthus caryophyllus
clove pink

What are some words that share a root or word element with carnation?

What are some words that often get used in discussing carnation?

How is carnation used in real life?

Carnations are popular to give as gifts.

I've always loved carnations, they're just so pretty! pic.twitter.com/v2P1ysefCy

— TheLilacShed (@LilacShed) July 19, 2016

my favorite flower has almost always been a carnation, and i just found out today january’s flower is a carnation ??? if this isn’t fate idk what is

— raylee 🐈‍⬛💜 (@raylee_hebron) November 22, 2019

Every time I see a man pick up a bouquet of carnations I want to tell him, "no. Anything else."

— Clare Malone (@ClareMalone) July 10, 2015

Try using carnation!

True or False?

Carnations are always pink.

How to use carnation in a sentence

Xenophyophores growing on the sediment can resemble carnations, roses, or lattices, and like corals in shallow water, their bodies create a unique habitat in the deep sea.
The Largest Cells on Earth - Issue 99: Universality|Rebecca R. Helm|May 5, 2021|Nautilus
He purchased dozens of carnations in a variety of bright colors and paid for them with money he earned from dog-walking.
After the shooting, a boy gave flowers to workers at King Soopers stores near the attack|Sydney Page|March 25, 2021|Washington Post
Most of the Mothers of Srebrenica have no living relatives to honor and love them on this day, or to bring them the traditional Bosnian Mother’s Day gift of a bunch of red carnations.
Angelina Jolie Talks to Director Jasmila Zbanic About Quo Vadis, Aida? and the Role of Art in Healing Trauma|Angelina Jolie|March 8, 2021|Time
Justin, a 4-year-old West Highland terrier from Long Island, was having his face hair-sprayed into the shape of a carnation.
Backstage at the 2013 Westminster Dog Show, Won by Banana Joe|Isabel Wilkinson|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He was carrying himself with less than his usual stoop, he wore a red carnation in his buttonhole.
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo|E. Phillips Oppenheim
Cannot you see the lovely Adele fastening the carnation to the lapel so that papa may be gay upon the street?
Sixes and Sevens|O. Henry
In Major Ellison's buttonhole there was a carnation and a rosebud backed by a geranium leaf.
Sixes and Sevens|O. Henry
While I think of it, I'll draw in a little mite of this red into my carnation pink.
The Village Watch-Tower|(AKA Kate Douglas Riggs) Kate Douglas Wiggin
The lips too are figured out; but where's the carnation dew, the pouting ripeness that tempts the taste in the original?
The Beaux-Stratagem|George Farquhar

British Dictionary definitions for carnation

carnation

/ (kɑːˈneɪʃən) /

noun

Also called: clove pink a Eurasian caryophyllaceous plant, Dianthus caryophyllus, cultivated in many varieties for its white, pink, or red flowers, which have a fragrant scent of cloves

the flower of this plant

a pink or reddish-pink colour
(as adjective)a carnation dress

(often plural) a flesh tint in painting

Word Origin for carnation

C16: from French: flesh colour, from Late Latin carnātiō fleshiness, from Latin carō flesh

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