crocus

[ kroh-kuhs ]

noun,plural cro·cus·es.

any of the small, bulbous plants of the genus Crocus, of the iris family, cultivated for their showy, solitary flowers, which are among the first to bloom in the spring.
the flower or bulb of the crocus.

a deep yellow; orangish yellow; saffron.
Also called crocus martis [mahr-tis]. /ˈmɑr tɪs/. a polishing powder consisting of iron oxide.

Origin of crocus

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin <Greek krókos saffron, crocus <Semitic; compare Arabic kurkum saffron

Other words from crocus

crocused, adjective

Words Nearby crocus

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

How to use crocus in a sentence

Not even just your regular, garden-variety spring, but a full-on Stravinsky-style spring, with crocuses bursting from the earth in symphonic unison, rain showers copiously blessing the fields and trees blossoming from every twig.
The 10 Best Movies of 2021 | Stephanie Zacharek | December 7, 2021 | Time
The crocuses are coming up from the neglected, half-brown lawns, and even the daffodils in my own pitiful mulch bed have bloomed.
For parents, spring brings so much more this year — renewal, beauty and, yes, anxiety | Maggie Smith | April 2, 2021 | Washington Post
As crocuses and other early-blooming flowers opened up, the green buds of cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin emerged Thursday, reaching the first of five stages in their development.
D.C.-area temperatures charge to record highs amid spiking tree pollen | Jason Samenow | March 11, 2021 | Washington Post
That snow is giving way to some crocuses and other early flowers in and around the city.
PM Update: Temperatures remain mild, with clouds increasing Friday | Ian Livingston | February 25, 2021 | Washington Post
Saffron is the dried stigmas (the female reproductive parts) of the saffron crocus ( crocus sativus).
In Search of the $10,000 Spice | Sarah Whitman-Salkin | July 14, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST

It takes about 70,000 crocus blossoms or 210,000 stigmas to yield just a pound of saffron.
In Search of the $10,000 Spice | Sarah Whitman-Salkin | July 14, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
One morning Spring peeped round the corner and dropped a crocus or two and a primrose or two.
The Devourers | Annie Vivanti Chartres
In the city of leafy avenues there is not a leaf to be seen, and, except the irrepressible crocus, not a flower.
America To-day, Observations and Reflections | William Archer
The peacock brocade, the eau de Nil, the crocus yellow, but once—twice at the uttermost.
The History of Sir Richard Calmady | Lucas Malet
Hyacinths, narcissus, tulips, and crocus can be made to flower in the winter without difficulty.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
So he came down and changed himself into a bull and breathed from his mouth a crocus 1721.
Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns, and Homerica | Homer and Hesiod

British Dictionary definitions for crocus

crocus

/ (ˈkrəʊkəs) /

nounplural -cuses

any plant of the iridaceous genus Crocus, widely cultivated in gardens, having white, yellow, or purple flowers: See also autumn crocus
another name for jeweller's rouge

adjective

of a saffron yellow colour

Origin of crocus

C17: from New Latin, from Latin crocus, from Greek krokos saffron, of Semitic origin

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

Browse