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penstemon
[ pen-stee-muhn, pen-stuh-muhn ]
/ pɛnˈsti mən, ˈpɛn stə mən /
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noun
any of numerous chiefly North American plants belonging to the genus Penstemon, of the figwort family, some species of which are cultivated for their showy, variously colored flowers.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Also pentstemon.
Origin of penstemon
1750–60; variant of pentstemon (>New Latin Penstemon genus name)
Words nearby penstemon
pension fund, pension mortgage, pension off, pension plan, pensive, penstemon, penstock, pent, penta-, pentachloronitrobenzene, pentachlorophenol
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use penstemon in a sentence
The three most abundant plants on the ground are Artemisia ludoviciana, Chrysothamnus depressus and Penstemon linarioides.
Stems and leaves of two of the plants, Comandra umbellata and Penstemon linarioides, were readily eaten by captive animals.
Water content of both Penstemon and Comandra was greatly reduced in the dry period that occurred in early July.
For be it known that Maria Penstemon had a will of her own, and a strong tendency to foster crotchets.
The New Mistress|George Manville Fenn
British Dictionary definitions for penstemon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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