dicentra

American  

[dahy-sen-truh] / daɪˈsɛn trə /

noun

1. any of several plants belonging to the genus Dicentra, of the fumitory family, having long clusters of drooping flowers, such as the Dutchman's breeches or the bleeding heart.

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dicentra British  

/ daɪˈsɛntrə /

noun

1. any Asian or North American plant of the genus Dicentra, such as bleeding heart and Dutchman's-breeches, having finely divided leaves and ornamental clusters of drooping flowers: family Fumariaceae

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Etymology

Origin of dicentra

1833; < New Latin < Greek díkentr ( os ) with two stings or spurs, equivalent to di- di- ¹ + -kentros, derivative of kéntron a spur, point, sting (derivative of kenteîn to prick, sting) + Latin -a -a ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dicentra

The bumblebee rifles the dicentra and the columbine of their treasures in the same manner, namely, by slitting their pockets from the outside, and the honey-bee gleans after him, taking the small change he leaves.

From A Year in the Fields by Burroughs, John

The arbutus and the dicentra appeared on the 10th, and the coltsfoot—which, however, is an importation—about the same time.

From A Year in the Fields by Burroughs, John

There is nectar in the columbine, and the bumblebee sometimes gets it by piercing the spur from the outside as she does with dicentra.

From The Writings of John Burroughs — Volume 05: Pepacton by Burroughs, John

The plumy dicentra, or Dutchman’s breeches, seems so feminine as to be grossly misnamed until we remember that it was first discovered in the Rip Van Winkle country.

From Some Spring Days in Iowa by Lazell, Frederick John

Dielytra, dī-el′i-tra, n. an erroneous name for dicentra.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various