linum

American  

[lahy-nuhm] / ˈlaɪ nəm /

noun

1. any of numerous plants of the genus Linum, including flax, L. usitatissimum, and various other species grown as ornamentals.

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linum British  

/ ˈlaɪnəm /

noun

1. any plant of the annual or perennial genus Linum, of temperate regions, esp L. grandiflorum, from N Africa, cultivated for its showy red or blue flowers: family Linaceae See also flax

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Etymology

Origin of linum

< New Latin (Linnaeus); Latin līnum flax

Example Sentences

The word "flax" is derived from filare, to spin, or, filum, a thread; and the botanical title, linum, is got from the Celtic lin also signifying thread.

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas

Linen means cloth of flax; hence its derivation from the Latin word linum, flax.

From A Catechism of Familiar Things; Their History, and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery. With a Short Explanation of Some of the Principal Natural Phenomena. For the Use of Schools and Families. Enlarged and Revised Edition. by Anonymous

Even on this splintered ridge, at a height of 8000 feet, there were tulips, celery in blossom, mullein, roses, legions of the Fritillaria imperialis, anemones, blue linum, and a wealth of alpine plants.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume II (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)

To open the letter it was necessary to cut the string: "nos linum incidimus."

From Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War by Watson, John Selby

The seeds, such as stock, nasturtium, linum, phlox, and sweet pea, are doing well in the garden.

From Three Years in Tristan da Cunha by Barrow, Katherine Mary