Jump To:

• columbine
  columbine

  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.
• Columbine
  Columbine

  noun

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

columbine

¹ American  

[kol-uhm-bahyn] / ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

noun

1. 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.

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

---

columbine ² American  

[kol-uhm-bahyn, -bin] / ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn, -bɪn /

adjective

1. of a dove.

2. dovelike; dove-colored.

---

Columbine ³ American  

[kol-uhm-bahyn] / ˈkɒl əmˌbaɪn /

noun

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

2. a female given name.

---

Columbine ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /

noun

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

2. (later) the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime

---

columbine ² British  

/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /

noun

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

---

columbine ³ British  

/ ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a dove

---

Etymology

Origin of columbine¹

1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin columbīna ( herba ) dovelike (plant), feminine of Latin columbīnus ( see columbine ²); the inverted flower looks like a group of doves

Origin of columbine²

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin columbīnus, equivalent to columb ( a ) dove + -īnus -ine ¹

Origin of Columbine³

1720–30; < Italian Columbina literally, dovelike girl; see columbine ²

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

columbine Columbine

You can help your gardens along by selecting plants that re-seed themselves — flowers such as columbine, coreopsis, and lupine will self-sow and spread throughout your gardens each year.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2022

Seeds of most columbine species do not require cold in order to germinate, but hot soil temperatures should be avoided.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2022

In his absence, my attention immediately shifted to something his presence had obscured — a golden columbine bush.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2019

A short-lived perennial, columbine grows best in well-drained soil with afternoon shade.

From Time ● Sep. 24, 2017

I add bouquets of columbine, fennel, and daisies from my garden.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Ask Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine killers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

“I grabbed my little girl and clenched her to my chest,” one mom, a Columbine survivor, told him on the day her own daughter started kindergarten.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2023

There are plenty of other survivor groups, such as that borne out of the Columbine community for, for example.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2023

I can't stop laughing that Fall Out Boy included "Tom DeLonge and aliens" in their "we didn't start the fire" version, a song that also includes references to Columbine, Sandy Hook and 9/11.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2023

“Ah well, Hare’s the family name, don't y’know. My parents named me Basil, though the old mater wanted me to be called Columbine Agnes. Always longed for a young lass, she did.”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---