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cornflower

American  
[kawrn-flau-er] / ˈkɔrnˌflaʊ ər /

noun

  • cornflowers
    plural
  1. 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.

  2. Also called cornflower blue. a deep, vivid blue.

  3. corn cockle.

  4. strawflower.


cornflower British  
/ ˈkɔːnˌflaʊə /

noun

  1. Also called: bluebottle. a Eurasian herbaceous plant, Centaurea cyanus, with blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, formerly a common weed in cornfields: family Asteraceae (composites) 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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of cornflower

First recorded in 1570–80; corn 1 + flower


Vocabulary lists containing cornflower

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Several papers also carry pictures of Catherine, Princess of Wales in a cornflower blue suit at Wimbldon.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

A few years ago, Buchweitz tried to develop the cornflower blue as a colorant for the food industry, but it didn’t pan out.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 14, 2023

Neutrals in sage, copper and white anchored the color palette, which exploded with accent pieces in cream-infused versions of seafoam green, cornflower blue, tangerine and flamingo pink.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022

When Peter Lai opens the door to his Arts District loft, he’s wearing high-waisted teal slacks, a seafoam mesh top printed with a dragon, a bright blue cap and cornflower acetate glasses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2022

But my eyes are cornflower blue, like Mother’s.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Some of my favorites include violas, zinnias, rose petals, cornflowers and flowering herbs.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2022

The chamomile, cornflowers, ferns, irises and rustling grasses of the fields.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2022

Anthocyanins can change color depending on the acidity of a solution, so Willstätter proposed that roses had a different hue because the pH in their petals was lower than in cornflowers.

From Science Magazine ● May 2, 2019

She made poppies out of paper for Remembrance Day while living in Africa, and sold the French equivalent of poppies, blue cornflowers, while living with her husband in France.

From BBC ● May 31, 2018

I open my eyes to a sky the color of blue cornflowers and treetops swaying in the light breeze.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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