crocus

American  

[kroh-kuhs] / ˈkroʊ kəs /

noun

crocuses, plural croci plural

1. 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.

2. the flower or bulb of the crocus.

3. a deep yellow; orangish yellow; saffron.

4. Also called crocus martis.  a polishing powder consisting of iron oxide.

---

crocus British  

/ ˈkrəʊkəs /

noun

1. any plant of the iridaceous genus Crocus, widely cultivated in gardens, having white, yellow, or purple flowers See also autumn crocus

2. another name for jeweller's rouge

---

adjective

1. of a saffron yellow colour

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• crocused
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• croci
  plural
• crocuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of crocus

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crocus croci crocuses

With their annual income at their fingertips, a family of saffron farmers pluck delicate crimson stigmas from crocus flowers grown high in India’s Kashmir Valley.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 26, 2024

In the meantime, residents were clinging to signs that the cold would eventually retreat: a stray crocus in the yard.

From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2024

He blames more erratic patterns of rainfall and higher temperatures, which leaves the soil too dry for the sensitive crocus plant.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2023

Small, deciduous trees and shrubs, such as the contorted hazelnut or a lacy Japanese maple, live happily in containers for years and look lovely in springtime surrounded by crocus and then tulips.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 16, 2023

Lovely as the basket was, there were flowers as lovely to fill it with, sweet-smelling narcissus and hyacinths and violets and yellow crocus, and most radiant of all, the crimson splendor of the wild rose.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Count Giovanni Gozzadini has called the attention of archæologists to this subject in a memoir "Sulle croci monumentali che erano nelle vie di Bologna del secolo XIII."

From Pagan and Christian Rome by Lanciani, Rodolfo Amedeo

The flowers appear before the leaves, and may, at the first glance, be taken for lilac-coloured croci.

From Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers Describing the Most Desirable Plants, for Borders, Rockeries, and Shrubberies. by Wood, John

Notwithstanding their dead appearance in winter, a capital suggestion occurred to me by an accidental mixture of croci with the Phlox.

From Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers Describing the Most Desirable Plants, for Borders, Rockeries, and Shrubberies. by Wood, John

Despite some signs of spring, with daffodils, crocuses and other plants starting to sprout, we are still in winter and cold air is never too far away.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2024

Forcing the Jets and the Giants to endure another icy week of pointless football is a little like leaving the Christmas decorations up until the crocuses bloom.

From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2022

Not only are crocuses one of the most affordable bulbs you can purchase, but they’re also one of the earliest blooms to show up in the garden.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2021

These crocuses are also planted in the late summer and bloom within a few weeks.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2021

They dug up purple crocuses and planted them all around her grave.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz