a plant, Aquilegia caerula, of the buttercup family, having showy flowers with white petals and white to blue sepals that form long, backward spurs: the state flower of Colorado.
any of various other plants of the genus Aquilegia, characterized by divided leaves and showy flowers of various colors.
of a dove.
dovelike; dove-colored.
a female character in commedia dell'arte and pantomime: sweetheart of Harlequin.
a female given name.
(originally) the character of a servant girl in commedia dell'arte
(later) the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime
1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin columbīna ( herba ) dovelike (plant), feminine of Latin columbīnus ( see columbine 2); the inverted flower looks like a group of doves
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin columbīnus, equivalent to columb ( a ) dove + -īnus -ine 1
1720–30; < Italian Columbina literally, dovelike girl; see columbine 2
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You can help your gardens along by selecting plants that re-seed themselves — flowers such as columbine, coreopsis, and lupine will self-sow and spread throughout your gardens each year.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2022
Q: A friend gave me seeds for blue columbine, which seems quite wonderful and different.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2022
In his absence, my attention immediately shifted to something his presence had obscured — a golden columbine bush.
From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2019
A short-lived perennial, columbine grows best in well-drained soil with afternoon shade.
From Time ● Sep. 24, 2017
I add bouquets of columbine, fennel, and daisies from my garden.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Ask Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine killers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The attack occurred on April 20, which is both Hitler’s birthday and the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
When asked where she finds the strength to comfort these children, Jung didn’t hesitate: “From them. There’s no teacher who gets into teaching after Columbine who isn’t ready to die for their kids,” she said.
From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2026
“I grabbed my little girl and clenched her to my chest,” one mom, a Columbine survivor, told him on the day her own daughter started kindergarten.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2023
None of this was awfully far in his past and, as we talked about Columbine, the anger bubbled up, still fresh.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
