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columbine

1
[ kol-uh m-bahyn ]
/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

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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Words nearby columbine

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Origin of columbine

1
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

Definition for columbine (2 of 3)

columbine2
[ kol-uh m-bahyn, -bin ]
/ ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn, -bɪn /

adjective

of a dove.
dovelike; dove-colored.

Origin of columbine

2
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin columbīnus, equivalent to columb(a) dove + -īnus -ine1

Definition for columbine (3 of 3)

Columbine
[ kol-uh m-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. 2019

Examples from the Web for columbine

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