four-o'clock

American  

[fawr-uh-klok, fohr-] / ˈfɔr əˌklɒk, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

1. a common garden plant, Mirabilis jalapa, of the four-o'clock family, having tubular red, white, yellow, or variegated flowers that open late in the afternoon.

2. any plant of the same genus.

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four-o'clock British  

noun

1. Also called: marvel-of-Peru.  a tropical American nyctaginaceous plant, Mirabilis jalapa , cultivated for its tubular yellow, red, or white flowers that open in late afternoon

2. another name for friarbird , esp the noisy friarbird ( Philemon corniculatus ): so called because of its cry

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Etymology

Origin of four-o'clock

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

Section of the seed of Mirabilis or Four-o'clock, showing the embryo coiled round the outside of the albumen.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa