Dictionary.com

cornflower

[ kawrn-flou-er ]
/ ˈkɔrnˌflaʊ ər /

noun

Also called bachelor's-button, bluebottle. a European composite plant, Centaurea cyanus, growing in grainfields, having blue to white flower heads, often cultivated as an ornamental.
Also called cornflower blue . a deep, vivid blue.
corn cockle.
strawflower (def. 2).

QUIZZES

THE OCTOBER WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ IS HERE TO HAUNT YOU

Search your capacious memory for the meaning of October’s words!
Question 1 of 9
Which Word of the Day from this month means, “an irrational dislike; loathing”?
zinger
élan
scunner
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cornflower

First recorded in 1570–80; corn1 + flower

Words nearby cornflower

cornfield, cornfield ant, cornflag, cornflakes, corn flour, cornflower, Cornforth, corn gluten, corn grits, cornhole, cornhouse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for cornflower

British Dictionary definitions for cornflower

cornflower
/ (ˈkɔːnˌflaʊə) /

noun

a Eurasian herbaceous plant, Centaurea cyanus, with blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, formerly a common weed in cornfields: family Asteraceae (composites)Also called: bluebottle See also bachelor's-buttons
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