dandelion

American  

[dan-dl-ahy-uhn] / ˈdæn dlˌaɪ ən /

noun

1. a weedy composite plant, Taraxacum officinale, having edible, deeply toothed or notched leaves, golden-yellow flowers, and rounded clusters of white, hairy seeds.

2. any other plant of the genus Taraxacum.

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dandelion British  

/ ˈdændɪˌlaɪən /

noun

1. a plant, Taraxacum officinale, native to Europe and Asia and naturalized as a weed in North America, having yellow rayed flowers and deeply notched basal leaves, which are used for salad or wine: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. any of several similar related plants

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Etymology

Origin of dandelion

1505–15; < Middle French, alteration of dent de lion, literally, tooth of (a) lion, translation of Medieval Latin dēns leōnis, in allusion to the toothed leaves

Example Sentences

“I said…,” Ragginold drawled, his jaw working steadily on the dandelion stem, “… the fox had a mom.”

From Literature

Expect desert sunflowers, gold poppy, dandelion and a number of other small, low-to-the-ground flowers.

From Los Angeles Times

Theo lets out a long breath, slow and controlled, like blowing the wisps off a dandelion.

From Literature

“Come with me now. We will gather nettles and dandelion leaves.”

From Literature

His gauzy harmonies regularly come untethered from the beat, floating over the songs like dandelion seeds in the breeze.

From BBC