mayflower

American  

[mey-flou-er] / ˈmeɪˌflaʊ ər /

noun

1. any of various plants that blossom in May, such as the hepatica or anemone in the United States, and the hawthorn or cowslip in England.

2. trailing arbutus.

3. Mayflower, the ship in which the Pilgrims sailed from Southampton, England, to North America in 1620.

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Mayflower ¹ British  

/ ˈmeɪˌflaʊə /

noun

1. the ship in which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth to Massachusetts in 1620

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mayflower ² British  

/ ˈmeɪˌflaʊə /

noun

1. any of various plants that bloom in May

2. another name for trailing arbutus

3. another name for hawthorn cowslip marsh marigold

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Mayflower Cultural  

1. The ship that carried the Pilgrims to America. It made a permanent landing near Plymouth Rock in 1620, after the Pilgrims had agreed to the Mayflower Compact.

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Etymology

Origin of mayflower

First recorded in 1560–70; May + flower

Example Sentences

But New York City is the native home to hundreds of species of flowering plant — from the delicate white starburst of a Canada mayflower to the pink-purple bravado of wild geranium.

From New York Times

We also spot hairy Solomon’s seal, mayflower’s cousin in the lily family.

From New York Times

"When the mayflower goes, the rose blooms," said Constance.

From Project Gutenberg

The two met at an audition for a community theater production in Southern California, and Nixon proposed two years later, delivering her engagement ring in a basket filled with mayflowers.

From Time

A little later they visit the willow catkins to suck the nectar secreted by these blossoms, and still later they hover about the delicate blossoms of the mayflower, or trailing arbutus, for a similar purpose.

From Project Gutenberg