centaurea

[ sen-tawr-ee-uh ]

/ sɛnˌtɔr i ə /

Save This Word!

noun

any of numerous composite plants of the genus Centaurea, having tubular flowers in a variety of colors.Compare cornflower (def. 1), knapweed.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of centaurea

<New Latin (Linnaeus) by suffix change from Medieval Latin centauria;see centaury, -ea

Words nearby centaurea

cent, cental, centare, centas, centaur, centaurea, centaurs, Centaurus, centaury, centavo, centenarian

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

How to use centaurea in a sentence

Give the Coleus about six inches of lee-way, also the Centaurea.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
Centaurea (Cornflower), all shades of blue; three feet; blooms three months if kept cut.
A Woman's Hardy Garden|Helena Rutherfurd Ely
Centaurea or cornflower, the bachelor's button or ragged sailor of old gardens, is in the front rank of the worthies.
The Garden, You, and I|Mabel Osgood Wright
The moth is out in July and in August, and may often be seen resting on the flowers of knapweed (Centaurea) in the daytime.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series|Richard South

Ray-florets when present are usually pistillate, but neuter in some genera (as Centaurea); the disk-florets are hermaphrodite.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7|Various

British Dictionary definitions for centaurea

centaurea

/ (ˌsɛntɔːˈrɪə, sɛnˈtɔːrɪə) /

noun

any plant of the genus Centaurea, which includes the cornflower and knapweed

Word Origin for centaurea

C19: ultimately from Greek Kentauros the Centaur; see centaury

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