columbine

[ kol-uhm-bahyn ]

/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

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noun

a plant, Aquilegia caerula, of the buttercup family, having showy flowers with white petals and white to blue sepals that form long, backward spurs: the state flower of Colorado.

any of various other plants of the genus Aquilegia, characterized by divided leaves and showy flowers of various colors.

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Origin of columbine

1275–1325; Middle English <Medieval Latin columbīna (herba) dovelike (plant), feminine of Latin columbīnus (see columbine²); the inverted flower looks like a group of doves

Words nearby columbine

Columbia, Columbia Heights, Columbian, Columbia River, columbic, columbine, columbite, columbium, columbous, Columbus, Columbus Air Force Base

Other definitions for columbine (2 of 3)

columbine²

[ kol-uhm-bahyn, -bin ]

/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn, -bɪn /

adjective

of a dove.

dovelike; dove-colored.

Origin of columbine

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin columbīnus, equivalent to columb(a) dove + -īnus-ine¹

Other definitions for columbine (3 of 3)

Columbine

[ kol-uhm-bahyn ]

/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

noun

a female character in commedia dell'arte and pantomime: sweetheart of Harlequin.

a female given name.

Origin of Columbine

1720–30; <Italian Columbina literally, dovelike girl; see columbine²

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

How to use columbine in a sentence

Officers at the school waited over an hour to enter the classrooms and confront the gunman—a decision that was “antithetical to everything we have learned over the last two decades since the Columbine massacre” in 1999, McCraw said.
Schools Are Putting More Cops on Campus—Despite the 'Abject Failure' in Uvalde|Katie Reilly|June 23, 2022|Time
The majority of mass school shootings were carried out by a lone gunman, with just two – Columbine and the 1988 shooting at Westside School in Jonesboro, Arkansas – carried out by two gunmen.
What we know about mass school shootings in the US – and the gunmen who carry them out|LGBTQ-Editor|May 25, 2022|No Straight News
If those two boys who went on a shooting rampage at Columbine had an adult who cared, they might not have “descended into hell.”
Colin Powell Was the Epitome of America’s Promise|Margaret Carlson|November 5, 2021|The Daily Beast
In the eyes of the NRA, Rambo is as grave a threat to gun rights as The Fonz—or the director of Bowling for Columbine.
Rambo Hates Guns: How Sylvester Stallone Became the Most Anti-Gun Celeb in Hollywood|Asawin Suebsaeng|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Gun massacres like Newtown and Columbine can destroy communities, families, and schools.
Hands Off Those Gun Laws, Judges|Eric Segall|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But school-based arrests in Pennsylvania alone went up by 300 percent since Columbine.
‘Kids for Cash’: Crooked Judge, Damaged Teens, and the Perils of Zero Tolerance|Ronald K. Fried|February 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Before Columbine, juvenile crime had been coming down,” May said.
‘Kids for Cash’: Crooked Judge, Damaged Teens, and the Perils of Zero Tolerance|Ronald K. Fried|February 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a kind of manifesto, the Virginia Tech killer had written about the two Columbine killers.
What if the Founding Fathers Saw Newtown?|Michael Daly|December 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Harlequin had recruited a columbine and a shepherdess, and he introduced these ladies as partners for the promised minuet.
The Animal Story Book|Various
As a favourite garden flower, the Columbine found its way into heraldic blazonry.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe
As a garden plant the Columbine still holds a favourite place.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe
The many species of owls, too, have p. 187not been noticed; and no mention made of the Columbine tribe.
Wanderings in South America|Charles Waterton
But any though he is, he is as capable of devotion to his Columbine as Punchinello, and remains faithfully mated year after year.
Bird Neighbors|Neltje Blanchan

British Dictionary definitions for columbine (1 of 3)

columbine¹

/ (ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn) /

noun

any plant of the ranunculaceous genus Aquilegia, having purple, blue, yellow, or red flowers with five spurred petalsAlso called: aquilegia

Word Origin for columbine

C13: from Medieval Latin columbīna herba dovelike plant, from Latin columbīnus dovelike, from the resemblance of the flower to a group of doves

British Dictionary definitions for columbine (2 of 3)

columbine²

/ (ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a dove

Word Origin for columbine

C14: from Old French colombin, from Latin columbīnus dovelike, from columba dove

British Dictionary definitions for columbine (3 of 3)

Columbine

/ (ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn) /

noun

(originally) the character of a servant girl in commedia dell'arte

(later) the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime

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