gay-feather

[gey-feth-er]

noun

1. any of several composite plants of the genus Liatris, especially L. spicata or L. scariosa, having hairy leaves and long clusters of purplish flowers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gay-feather¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

A patch of a light lustrous purple, on closer view, proves to be a mass of the feathered spikes of blazing star or colic-root, first cousin of the gay-feather of the West, that sometimes grows six feet high and has been welcomed to our gardens.

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