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florist

American  
[flawr-ist, flohr-, flor-] / ˈflɔr ɪst, ˈfloʊr-, ˈflɒr- /

noun

  • florists
    plural
  1. a retailer of flowers, ornamental plants, etc.

  2. a grower of flowers.


florist British  
/ ˈflɒrɪst /

noun

  1. a person who grows or deals in flowers

"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 florist

First recorded in 1615–25; flor- + -ist


Explanation

A florist is someone whose job involves arranging and selling cut flowers. If you can't decide what flowers to buy your mom for Mother's Day, you can ask a florist for advice. It's most common to call the owner or manager of a flower shop a florist, although the word is also used to mean a person who grows flowers meant for cutting. Whether you're buying flowers for a sick friend or planning the bouquets for a wedding, a florist is the person you should consult. Florist comes from the French fleuriste, from the Latin root word flos, or "flower."

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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:

He added: "I know they've done it with a florist before, and I think they've done it with an ice cream parlour before."

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The florist business has appeared to make the De la Mora family rich though clearly not happy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

And he's not the only one, with florist Kadir Kokus saying sales had been badly hit since the boards were erected late last month.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

One of my favorite entertaining tricks is to think of bread the way a florist thinks about greenery.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

We used it every day; it’s how we would locate the address of a locksmith or florist or furniture upholsterer, or any number of the women who volunteered in my mother’s benevolent societies.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

“Delivery trucks, caterers, and florists were given limited information until the last minute.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

It also said florists could employ staff to sell fragrant lily of the valley, which is traditionally sold on Labour Day in France.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

At this rate, florists might as well start practicing the art of making football-themed bouquets for couples-themed parties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

Jon, just the number of florists credited at the end of “Wicked: For Good” is wild.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025

Tuxedos went to the cleaners; flowers came from the florists; Bunny put away his copy of The Bride of Fu Manchu and started carrying around a volume of Homer instead.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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